Hollywood Ending (2002)
Directed by Woody Allen
Woody Allen stars as Val Waxman, a two-time Oscar winner turned washed-up, neurotic director in desperate need of a comeback. When it comes, Waxman finds himself backed into a corner: Work for his ex-wife Ellie or forfeit his last shot. Is Val blinded by love when he opts for the reconnect? Is love blind when it comes to Ellie's staunch support? Literally and figuratively, the proof is the picture.
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What critics compared Hollywood Ending to
Obviously, one should never take the word of a dedicated Woody Allen apologist at face value, particularly given our clockwork-like tendency to proclaim "Woody is back to form!" every three years (in 2008, Vicky Cristina Barcelona ; in 2005, Match Point ; in 2002, Hollywood Ending so it's not a perfect fit, but you get what I'm driving at).
Sure, Match Point was quite intriguing, and there were the low-key charms of Melinda and Melinda, Cassandra's Dream, and Vicky Cristina Barcelona ... but it will take a pretty long time to wash away the stench of the run that included Anything Else, Hollywood Ending, and The Curse of the Jade Scorpion.
…out of Everyone Says I Love You Deconstructing Harry The Curse of the Jade Scorpion Hollywood Ending (May 2/02) Woody Allen once said that the ideal length for a comedy is around 90 minutes.
Allen likely would cringe at such a suggestion, for he revels in being the consummate auteur (even when spoofing the director-as-artist theory in something such as "Hollywood Ending").
By comparison, the modest pleasures of a Hollywood Ending or Sweet and Lowdown are gravy.
The movie's meticulous construction alone is something of a relief, considering the half-asleep sloppiness of Allen's recent comedies: Few people, even die-hard fans, were able to muster much enthusiasm for stale Raisinettes like "Hollywood Ending" and "Melinda and Melinda."
The movie isn’t perfect, as it drags on too long and delves into a silly detective subplot, but it’s a world of improvement compared to the dreadful offerings of Anything Else and Hollywood Ending.
And that means that here, as in Whiplash , the age old “Hollywood ending” in which two lovers overcome obstacles and errors to be together is undercut by something greater; the idea that dreams must come first.
Wife Judith's (Sari Lennick, whose piercing pupils set in pale green irises make her otherworldly) lover Sy Ableman (Fred Melamed, "Hollywood Ending") keeps trying to hug Larry while the Coens work fateful dualities and two faces into the relationship.
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His last few films -- Scoop, Match Point, Cassandra’s Dream -- couldn’t hold a light to, say, Manhattan, but at least they didn’t make me want to claw my eyes out like The Curse of the Jade Scorpion and Hollywood Ending , from the early 2000s, did.