Level "Zurullo" • 4 ❤ • Not recommended.

Even if only occasionally. Ok.

in some ways, this is a bit of a departure for Woody Allen. In other ways, it's very by the numbers. Any fan of Allen's movies knows that the lead is typically just a stand in for the man himself. Yet, with Larry David playing that part, he brings more of an abrasive, stereotypical New Yorker than Allen's passive, neurotic signature portrayal. Anyway! All of that is to say that this felt fresh for an Allen film, while remaining true to what makes his work so familiar. The story starts simply enough with getting to know Boris - the definition of a brilliant curmudgeon. Perhaps he's a little cynical, but nevertheless entertaining. If there is ever a live-action Rick and Morty movie, Larry David needs to play Rick. Moving on, the plot thickens from there, and we see that this is really just a love story. The pacing does drag a bit in the second act, but any steam that is lost becomes irrelevant by the end. Did the third act feel rushed and slightly - oh, how should I put it? Super easy, barely an inconvenience? Yeah, just a bit. This level of optimism isn't unheard of for Allen, but it did seem out of place here. Ultimately, it's the simple philosophy of the movie, so, yeah, it works. Either way, the entire second half of the film feels clunky, as if Allen didn't know which way he wanted to go, so he just chose the mega-happy ending. I wouldn't rate this among the best for Allen, but it's still good.

“Can you believe this cracker? This red state Neanderthal? This mindless zombie of the National Rifle Association?” I came here for Larry David and stayed for Larry David. He’s definitely funny but this story has some questionable writing (fuck you Woody Allen I’m a pirate) Boris is basically a fourth-wall-breaking Larry David and I love it. The most LD thing in this film is probably failing his own suicide twice in the same way. I was enjoying the story quite a bit until Melody cheats on Boris. Then she just decides to break up with him when it best suits her. “I met someone else.” No bitch. Your mom met someone else months ago and has been secretly having him run into you. Then she decides to take it up a level and cheat on Boris. She never tells him any of this, not even when the guilt sinks in on the stairs. So I don’t get the point of her character. The whole purpose of her leaving her parents was that she wasn’t under her mom’s control anymore. But I guess she will be till the very end? Idk she deserves the worst. “I’m surrounded by microbes!”

This had been one of the last of Woody's movies that I had not seen and if I am being truthful I can't pretend that I saw the whole thing because I didn't. But what I did see.... wow. In some ways this might be his worst movie. At least with the abominations that are Rifkin's Festival and Rainy Day in New York I felt like he was trying for something. They both sucked unbelievably bad but at least there was an attempt to make a movie. I think I would have had more respect for Allen if he stepped into the lead role and forced himself to recite the drudgery that he forced on Larry David. Complaints about society had always been a charming part of Allen's movies when we got them in small doses (and when they were legit). To build a whole movie around a miserable person... well, it gets you this movie. follow me at https://IHATEBadMovies.com or facebook IHATEBadMovies