Bullets over Broadway, 11/17/12, Best Supporting Actress 1994
The more I watch them, the more I like Woody Allen’s movies. I like them better when he’s not in them, however because the typical neurotic characters he plays can be very annoying, but he writes a good story and gets great performances out of the actors. Bullets over Broadway is set in 1928 New York, complete with gangsters and Prohibition-era alcohol. It’s about an idealistic playwright, played by John Cusack, and his desire to get his play produced on Broadway. It starts out as too intellectual and too heavy and he can’t get it produced until he makes a deal with the devil in the form of a local gangster to put the gangster’s girlfriend, Olive (played by Jenifer Tilly), in the play. That begins the slippery slope of compromise that leads to the fatal end of the movie. This seems to be very thematic of Allen’s movies, basically good people take shortcuts or are willing to be corrupted to achieve their ends (money, fame, love) only to have so much of it unravel in the end (Cassandra’s Dream, Match Point, Crimes and Misdemeanors). However, the difference in this movie is there is broader comedic edge which makes it fun to watch, especially with an incredible cast, including winner of the Best Supporting Actress, Dianne Wiest, John Cusack, Chazz Palmintieri, Jennifer Tilly, Jim Broadbent and several others. The great thing about this film, and many other Allen films, is the performances he gets from the actors even if they’re only on the screen for a few scenes, like Tracey Ullman. David Shayne, Cusack’s character is the playwright and the director, but the actors are struggling with his words and his vision; Cheech (Chazz Palmintieri) a gangster and ex-con has the soul of a writer and comes up with many improvements to the script and becomes personally invested in its success. Helen Sinclair (Dianne Wiest) is an actress in the boozy twilight of her career, looking for one more shot, and doesn't think it is with Shayne, but things start to come together, especially because Shayne fawns all over her and makes her believe that she is still the star she used to be. Wiest is great and she is a familiar face in many of Allen’s films; I really like watching her take on the life of her characters. Jennifer Tilly is also a treat, and she was also nominated for the Best Supporting Actress. Woody Allen’s movies aren't for everyone, and some of them have had to grow on me, too. If you’re leery about his movies, this might be a good one to try (or any of the ones where he isn't in it) and you may be surprised. The language, the dialogue and the quirky characters make it a good watch.
