Woody Allen: A Documentary

Title: Woody Allen: A Documentary
Where to watch: Selected Theatres in UK

'I don't want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it through not dying.'

The title gives it all away - Woody Allen: A Documentary is a film that's focussed entirely on Woody Allen. It naturally starts off from when he was young, and then leads into how he made it into the comedy scene, how he became a regular figure on tv talk shows, and ultimately, how he ended up on the big screen. 

I love Woody, especially his classics Manhattan, Annie Hall ... and yes, though the most recent Woody film I've seen was a tad cheesy (Midnight In Paris), it was still very, very enjoyable and definitely worth two hours of your life. 

Ok, so he has had a few big flops, but you've got to admire his career that has lasted over four decades; his jokes are still just as self-deprecating and relevant as it was in the 60s. Woody is a famously solipsistic man, and in this film you can see him constantly battling with the meaning of life in a very philosophical, psychoanalytical, and occasionally theological way. 

Everyone knows he is not without controversies and the film touches on that aspect lightly. Though the film pays tribute to Woody's inspirations (including one of my favourite directors, Fellini), it seems a bit of an oversight to not deal with Groucho Marx's influence over Woody. Overall, it's not a very critical film, more a movie directed by a big Woody fan. 

Ah well, still, if you're the least bit interested in Woody's films and how they came about, then it's interesting to watch this documentary. 

'My one regret in life is that I am not someone else.'