Woody's Old Age Crisis

Jaime 2022-04-19 09:02:22

Woody Allen is really getting old.
Just look at the plot: A 21-year-old girl who is in her prime falls in love with a cynical and lame old man and asks for marriage? Sexual fantasies of older adults. Of course, this is also based on his own personal experience. A person who is too intellectually outstanding is often mentally disturbed by being too sensitive, and a simple and peaceful young woman is the best antidote.
Is it his incomparable genius and wisdom that she fell in love with? She finally fell in love with the handsome guy, precisely because her brain became bright under his enlightenment? Older people are inferior to younger people in appearance and energy, and it seems that only wisdom can be shown off.
Not surprisingly, there are no Woody films that aren't about "crisis." When you are young, there is a "youth crisis" that you cannot accept the reality. When you reach middle age, you have a "mid-life crisis" in interpersonal relationships. Woody Allen is a model when it comes to being honest with yourself.

Not just these.
The opening method of black subtitles and vinyl record music, which has not been changed since the 1960s, is the soundtrack of the symphony. The heroine must love to watch old black and white movies and listen to classical music under the guidance of the hero. Also, none of them use a computer or even a cell phone, and we don't understand why the heroine's parents have such a hard time finding her. Still writing letters? Does no one use E-mail?

Of course, there are also things that everyone can see at a glance, marked with "Woody Allen".
The hero opens up in a café to discuss philosophical issues, full of academic vocabulary—please, Woody, have you counted how many times you’ve used this opening in your own film?

Also, next, the male protagonist immediately spoke directly to the audience towards the camera. From "Annie Hall", Woody created this classic technique in film history. At that time, it was Woody Allen, an angry young man with black hair, who spoke to the camera, but now it is David David, who is full of silver hair and frowning. The pioneers of the past are now old-fashioned tricks. Comparing the past and the present, it is difficult not to make people sigh that "light is fleeting".

Woody Allen's films often feature a cynical genius who is full of insecurities, doubts the meaning of life, and is difficult to get along with, but there are always beautiful women who fall in love with him. To sum up, from the "British Trilogy" to "Midnight in Barcelona", the characters who directly represent Woody have been wandering in the hearts of various characters, and have not revealed their true bodies for many years. I still can't help pushing myself to the front desk, preaching to the audience, and nagging the same theory for decades, that is, because you are Woody Allen, the audience is not annoying. What's more, the use of David Davey to replace himself this time is a wordless reminder to the audience: our Woody is too old to act in person.

But, despite the old tricks reappearing before our weary eyes, we still love Woody because he always has a refreshing new bottle for that old wine. A clever creative point is why he succeeds in grabbing the audience every time. The last time it was a romantic encounter between two beauties and a handsome Spanish guy, this time it was the public lust of "the little girl fell in love with the old man". Well, we admit you're a genius, even though you're still that smart guy with high IQ and low EQ who only escapes trivial reality in movies. Only you, we will buy the account of such an old-fashioned movie and enjoy it.






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Extended Reading

Whatever Works quotes

  • [first lines]

    Boris Yellnikoff: That's not what I'm saying, imbecile. You guys completely misrepresent my ideas, why would I even want to talk with those idiots.

    Boris' Friend: Just calm down.

    Boris' Friend: That's not true, Boris.

    Boris Yellnikoff: No, don't tell me to calm down, I am calm. Just stop.

    Boris' Friend: Don't jump on us just because we don't understand what you're saying.

    Boris Yellnikoff: I didn't jump on you. It's not the idea behind Christianity I'm faulting, or Judaism, or any religion. It's the professionals who've made it into corporate business. There's big money in the god racket, big money.

    Boris' Friend: Here we go...

  • Boris Yellnikoff: Don't you know you have to sing happy birthday twice to get the germs off?