Not one word...

Rating: Null/10 (20 September 2009)

I have the utmost respect for Woody Allen as a filmmaker ( I probably own more than a dozen of his films) and was very excited to hear that VCB was so well received by critics. Wow, what an incredible disappointment it turned out to be. I did not believe ONE WORD of this script- not one situation- not one character. Without going into great detail I'll just say I agreed with many of the negative reviews on this site concerning where the film failed: the narration ( jaw droppingly awful, the acting ( perhaps with the exception of Cruz) and the writing ( how badly did this script need a rewrite). If the film could have been saved it would have been by the last scene- but alas, by then the ship had sunk. I'm not giving up on Woody, he's too good a writer (maybe he could write about something he knows- like getting old- it might not be marketable but it could be great). Once Woody's film persona complained about TV audiences taste level "having been systematically lowered"- unfortunately that's where his good reviews are now coming from. Oh , and Penelope Cruz being nominated for this instead of "Elegy" is an act that borders on the criminal.