ReaderKenka Let's be realistic.

ActuallyGlimmer The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Kamila Bell This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Marva It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

moonspinner55 Student at Rhode Island university falls for her philosophy professor, a burnt-out, hard-drinking older man with a pot belly and a reputation for sleeping with his students. He initially hopes to keep their relationship casual, that is until the thought of doing society a favor--eliminating someone with a worse reputation than his--comes to mind, which brightens his outlook and gives him the impetus to date and enjoy life for the first time. Fine Woody Allen drama, well-acted yet rife with the writer-director's familiar crimes-and-misdemeanors (with a tip of the hat to Dostoevsky). The teacher-student affair is another Allen-trademark, though Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone are subtly charismatic in these roles. Still, nothing much seems to happen in the first 45 minutes (Allen takes too much time kick-starting the plot) and the general cast of characters here is very small. Allen uses a jazzy rendition of "The 'In' Crowd" as a music motif, and doesn't rely too much on sex or sex talk to spark his narrative, though one does become impatient with Phoenix's teacher, who justifies his actions again and again--first in a voice-over and then to Stone, for whom his feelings are never really made clear. **1/2 from ****

Samiam3 Woody Allens mind is a maze of thought, philosophy, morality, and wisdom. Once upon a time he was able to channel all of that into movies that were a thing of love. Now he merely makes movies of contemplation. A suicidal misanthropic philosophy professor played by Phoenix finds a motive for living by committing a murder which he believes is a service to humanity. He plots to poison a crooked judge after over hearing a story in a diner of a divorced mother who is on the receiving end of his judicial abuse of power. Meanwhile he is dating one of his students (Emma Stone), and eventually he is going to have to spill the beans of his crime.The central morality question that is at the heart of this story is intriguing, but the translation is very poor. The whole film is bogged down by repetitive narration which highlights pretty much exactly what we see on screen as it is being said, over and over again. As far as acting goes, the feeling of investment is lacking. Phoenix does his best to summon his mix of humanity and de humanity and often rises to the occasion. Emma Stone brings straight girl realism but none of the charm or sly that defines her better performances. The ending feels rushed but offers the happiest resolution possible given the circumstances. What the movie really needs is a reason for being. It is too much staring into empty space while listening to over exposition. The movie is an overlong train of thought that gives a detailed explanation of virtually nothing.

rahumate Woody Allen at his best "To love is to suffer. ... Therefore, to love is to suffer; not to love is to suffer; to suffer is to suffer. To be happy is to love. To be happy, then, is to suffer, but suffering makes one unhappy." Woody Allen Woody Allen at 81 and perhaps counted in few intellect US film directors today celebrating his birthday.Woody Allen, who has niche audience; in one of his interview from UK Guardian he said, "My intention was people would pay their money and have some kind of human experience." Woody Allen started his career as a comedian in1950s, wrote jokes and scripts for television and publishing books. In 1960s, Allen began explored his hand in stand-up comedy, this world of comedy shaped his persona of an insecure, intellectual, fretful snobbish.Allen started writing and directing films in 1960s, So far he has directed over 40 films are Annie Hall (1977), Manhattan (1979), and Hannah and Her Sisters (1986). In 2007 he said Stardust Memories (1980), The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), and Match Point (2005) were his best films. Critic Roger Ebert described Allen as "a treasure of the cinema." Allen won four Academy Awards: three for Best Original Screenplay and one for Best Director (Annie Hall). He also won nine British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards. His screenplay for Annie Hall was named the funniest screenplay by the Writers Guild of America in its list of the "101 Funniest Screenplays." In 2011, PBS televised the film biography, Woody Allen: A Documentary, on the American Masters TV series.I remember his film Melinda and Melinda, I watched all his film in theaters or archives but this film was very rare to his fans. This film did not make a good fortune on box office and fetched no awards to him. I was curious to watch this film as this film is a discussion about life, the 4 people who sit on dining table talk about a fictitious character Melinda and takes her life ahead, one say, life is a comedy and show Melinda journey it turnout to be a black comedy and one say life is a tragedy and shows Melina journey but it turns out to be comedy. They conclude, 'it is our perception what matters and not the situation'."I'm probably more interested in eternal human feelings and conflicts. If I make a good film, it will always be good. The same feelings and problems will persist 5000 years from now. Like the Greek tragedies which still touch us today, which still work." (Woody Allen SPIGEL TV interview June 20, 2005 ) It was the first time when I searched all VCD stores of town and accidentally got the VCD in gray market. It proved to be a trove for me. Today on the birthday of Woody Allen I am offering my greeting through this article. I am sure he will touch 100 if not 150 and he will make more film which talks on life.

ags123 Very good addition to Woody Allen's filmography. Thoughtful, intelligent movie unlike anything Hollywood churns out these days. Woody's fingerprints are all over this one and you can just hear him typing away every time the characters speak. Performances are good (not necessarily great). Look for Bette Midler's daughter in a small role. Santo Loquasto's set design and Rhode Island location photography are idyllic. Compared to Allen's other great morality plays (Crimes and Misdemeanors, Match Point, Cassandra's Dream), this one seems a bit over-emphatic, though it remains intriguing and satisfying throughout. There are even several Hitchcock touches thrown in - the unrelated murder from "Strangers on a Train," the philosophical aspects of murder from "Rope" and the final struggle between good and evil from "Shadow of a Doubt." Especially noteworthy are the classroom lectures which question the validity of classic philosophical thought.