Another European travel ad

Rating: Null/10 (10 August 2013)

Don't get me wrong. I love Woody Allen and always enjoy watching his movies even if they not always his best. His genius allows him to pepper occasionally incoherent plots with enough funny moments to make them worth watching. But I wished that he would go back to the old Woody of movies such as "Bananas", "Take money and run", "Manhattan", "Don't drink the water", "Annie Hall" and other he had made in the past. Or even better: came up with other formula than the one he has been using in the past few years which is nothing more than series of disconnected little stories about people I don't care about and placing action in all predictable places such as Paris,Rome, London or Barcelona. I would prefer that either he finally explores USA beyond New York including older characters, or at least - moves action to more original foreign places. As it is now his choice of classic European cities makes his last movies more like tourist folders for cruises. And plot definitely would gain with less characters. The movie could be better, in my opinion if the plot had concentrated only on the clerk who became a celebrity for one day played by excellent Roberto Benigni. He was the best actor playing the most original character - sort of Buster Keaton of our times - trying hard to be a proper member of society but having too many hidden quirks which makes him a very fascinating comedic personality. He certainly was much more interesting and realistic actor than other members of the cast - all acting in the same "Woody Allen" manner which after seeing so much of it becomes a little tired. Not to mention that they all speak in a similar fashion which is a big mistake of any script (as a rule people talk differently). The idea of instant celebrity would be enough to build the whole movie around it as a comment on our world - a bit of reality which so often is missing in movies of the director. There is still plenty of imagination left in Woody Allen to try something completely different.