Deconstructing Harry (1997)
A movie review by Michael J. Legeros
Copyright 1998 by Michael J. Legeros
(Fine Line)
Directed by Woody Allen
Written by Woody Allen
Cast Woody Allen, Judy Davis, Elizabeth Shue, Kirstie Alley,
Bob Balaban, Hazelle Goodman, Eric Lloyd, Billy Crystal,
Richard Benjamin, Demi Moore, Julie Louis-Dreyfus,
Stanley Tucci, Robin Williams
MPAA Rating "R" (presumably for language and nudity)
Running Time 98 minutes
Reviewed at The Colony Theatre, Raleigh, NC (09JAN98)
==
Woody Allen's new comedy is funny, thank goodness, 'cause it ain't moving, charming, or even particularly believable. For starters, he's miscast himself. Allen lacks the... gravity to effectively portray Harry Block, a pill-poppin', booze-swillin', whore-frequenting, thrice- married bestselling author to whom the following is happening: (a.) he's suffering from writer's block, (b.) he's enduring the wraith of friends and family members who take offense to his habit of basing his work on his life, and (c.) he's now being visited by those semi-fiction- al creations. (Initially, Allen cuts between scenes from Block's life and scenes from Block's stories. Later, he begins blending both.) Smaller roles are filled by a dozen other stars, the spotting of which is as distracting as the fact that they rarely come alive in their roles. (Too often, the film feels like a stage play, with actors hurling monologues-- or, Allen's case, one-liners-- at each other.)
The anxious, almost frantic pace is also a challenge, as is trying to keep track of which ex-wife, ex-girlfriend, or other love interest is being referenced in a given scene. (And really, Woody, isn't it about time to start casting *older* actresses for these parts?) Admittedly, the movie *is* side-splitting. (My faves: gags on Death, Hell, and Darth Vader.) And it's profane! (How many blowjob jokes did you count?) Too bad it's so empty. Do you know what a black hole is? One question: why is Billy Crystal the only actor who plays both his char- acter and the fictional take on his character? He gives a devilishly good performance, though...
Grade: B-
-- Mike Legeros - Movie Hell http://www.nonvirtual.com/hell
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