Another fine Woody Allen film complete with music and characters of the 20's.

Rating: 10/10 (20 December 1999)

I saw this film on a rainy Monday afternoon in its first run. It obviously has not caught on, since there were perhaps 20 people in the appreciative audience. This isn't going to be an objective review, because I usually go out of my way to see Woody Allen films, and I've been disappointed only once. He is as creative and original as ever. Yes, I know he plays well only on the coasts, but this doesn't detract from his genius.
As usual, the music (here, 20's jazz) is a critically important part of this film, as in almost all Woody Allen films. Sean Penn somehow manages to seem play the guitar with ease. He plays a great jazz guitarist, with an enormous number of personality flaws: egocentric, irresponsible, womanizing, nasty, etc., but a great guitarist. Not surprisingly, because we have come to expect it from Penn, his acting is flawless.
The period (the 20's) is wonderfully captured by the scenery, language, and costumes. The flawed personality almost redeems itself, but it's clear from the beginning that this is not to be. The style is a narrative, with several commentators (including Woody Allen) playing themselves and the narrative is appropriately ambiguous, since it it's about an allegedly mysterious guitarist, known mostly to his remaining avid fans. A wonderful sequence involves three very different takes of a single incident. This is more than Rashoman, it's how myths grow in many different ways.
If you see this film thinking you'll be seeing a minor Woody Allen film, think again. To use a 20's expression, it's swell.