Reviews
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

May 2, 2024
7.0
The aptly named "Harry Block" (Woody Allen) is a seriously lapsed Jewish writer suffering from constipation of the typewriter. Adding to his woes is a nervousness about an impending honour from his alma mater (from where he was unceremoniously expelled) and the fact that his personal life makes Henry VIII's look like "Bertie and Elizabeth". Of course, "Harry" is seeing a therapist (Robert Harper) and with just a day before his conferment, he realises that his entire shambolic life is a result of his inability to fall in love. He likes women, he likes sex but he doesn't really like commitment, wanting always to treat a relationship like something he can buy in, or return to, Walmart. That's the basis of this story of a flawed individual that using a series of statically directed sit-com style scenarios takes us thorough twenty-four hours in the manic life of the shallow and unlikeable individual. I have never really been a fan of Woody Allen and this did nothing to change that. Granted his writing is quick fired and his observations potent at times, but his sense of humour is just too crass for me. There's nothing at all subtle about it, no cleverness - and the opening scenes of this set a scene for what I thought became increasingly puerile and predictable. A sort of slickly-delivered linguistic slapstick. Vulgar can be fun, but not when it's got some pseudo-intellectual underpinning about cause and effect of an human behaviour that becomes more and more contrived to fit the narrative the auteur wants to deliver. Are the jump cuts just there to divert our attention from the dwindling characterisations and increasing soapy melodrama? He doesn't imbue his character with anything I could care about, and though I did think Judy Davis and a cast of many reliable faces did their best to shore it all up, in the end it's very appropriately titled - it just doesn't happen quite quickly enough.

Recommendation Movies

6.7
Comedy
View
6.7
Mighty Aphrodite
Mighty Aphrodite1995
7.1
Comedy
View
7.1
Take the Money and Run
Take the Money and Run1969
6.9
Romance
View
6.9
The Thing About Harry
The Thing About Harry2020
5.9
Drama
View
5.9
Celebrity
Celebrity1998
6.4
Comedy
View
6.4
Small Time Crooks
Small Time Crooks2000
7.4
Documentary
View
7.4
50 Greatest Harry Potter Moments
50 Greatest Harry Potter Moments2011
6.5
Comedy
View
6.5
The Curse of the Jade Scorpion
The Curse of the Jade Scorpion2001
6.4
Comedy
View
6.4
Everyone Says I Love You
Everyone Says I Love You1996
4.2
Comedy
View
4.2
Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd
Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd2003
7.3
Documentary
View
7.3
Harry Potter: A History Of Magic
Harry Potter: A History Of Magic2017
7.5
Comedy
View
7.5
Love and Death
Love and Death1975
5.6
Action
View
5.6
Flight of the Intruder
Flight of the Intruder1991
6.9
Drama
View
6.9
The Married Woman
The Married Woman1964
7.6
Comedy
View
7.6
Totòtruffa '62
Totòtruffa '621961
7.4
Drama
View
7.4
Something Useful
Something Useful2017
6.2
Action
View
6.2
Arn: The Kingdom at Road's End
Arn: The Kingdom at Road's End2008
6.6
Crime
View
6.6
Deep Crimson
Deep Crimson1996
7
Drama
View
7
The Intruder
The Intruder1962
5.6
Drama
View
5.6
Harry + Max
Harry + Max2004
4.7
Comedy
View
4.7
Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me?
Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me?1971
© 2024 MoovieTime. All rights reserved.Made with Nuxt