Laughed out loud a couple of times during Allen's exchanges with an undertaker.

Rating: 6/10 (22 April 2020)

Amusing, good looking (such wonderful light) and affectionate look at the city and its inhabitants. Four fairly insubstantial tales are told alongside each other and some work well enough and others not. The loose remake of Fellini's The White Sheik is very well done and Penelope Cruz gives it her all. The most successful segment is probably that with Alec Baldwin and the beguiling Ellen Page. It is probably the most recognisable picture of Woody Allen and his foibles although he himself is in a less good section with the singer in the shower elevated to operatic stardom - this one joke piece soon wears thin. Similarly thin is the section featuring the most unlikeable Roberto Benigni who seems to be thrust into fame, becomes anxious to get out of the reach of the paparazzi, then to get back in again. A confusing and seemingly grossly over acted piece that is somewhat lost on me because of a lack of subtitles. My print was of Italian origin and featured 'original dialogue'. Unfortunately although there is much English and Italian spoken, I can only assume that where this ever showed in an English speaking country, the Italian would have been subtitled. Anyway am pretty sure I didn't miss too much. Laughed out loud a couple of times during Allen's exchanges with an undertaker.