Movie Night- Cafe Society

8/3/2016

Cafe Society 

Going into this screening today I couldn't necessarily say that I was very excited. I saw the trailer for this film a few months prior and thought it would be your standard yearly submission from Woody Allen. While I have a lot of respect for Woody Allen and I would not even say he's made a bad film, most of his films are good yet forgettable. Annie Hall, Manhattan, and Midnight In Paris are really good films, but those are the only ones I really like from his filmography. Well I now have to add Cafe Society to that list. 

I was genuinely surprised on how much I ended up enjoying this film. From the opening shot until the final credits I was thoroughly entertained. First let's discuss the cast of the film because everyone completely nailed their performances. Jesse Eisenberg returned to what he does best after the disastrous Lex Luther we received earlier this year, playing the awkward yet endearing main character. Steve Carell, Kristen Stewart, and Blake Lively all did great work as well. While I can't say that any performance was outstanding or all that spectacular, every actor and actress fit their role like a glove and helped make the film more investing. The cinematography was also very well handled by the excellent cinematographer Vittorio Storaro. The two cities of New York and Los Angeles feel very different due to lighting and setting. The film overall looks great, helping lend to the comforting feeling Woody Allen is known for. Obviously the stand out component of the film is Woody Allen, who delivers a film that felt familiar but fresh. His writing is entertaining and snappy as it always is but he also wrote some fairly engaging characters. I found the characters relatable but not overly realistic and serious, which would've totally conflicted with the story. Woody Allen excels at directing as well having a great sense of pacing and overall direction. He knows when to have funny dialogue to entertain the audience and he knows when to insert a slightly more serious scene. The film is never melodramatic but it does allow for relatability.

There are a couple flaws with the film however, but never enough to weigh down the film completely. While I did praise the film for the cast filling their roles well, it felt sort of predictable and safe. The story never really surprises you and doesn't take many risks. The film also meandered a bit in the third act and slowed the film down a tad. 

Cafe Society is a very competent film, but don't let it's subtleties fool you. It's an entertaining film that has great dialogue and really good characters. While it very much feels like a Woody Allen film, it wasn't the goal to try something experimental or daring. It was enjoyable and is now one of my favorites by Allen. 

7/10