I much prefer Woody Allen's early films for the simple reason that they make. Seriously, before he seriously became serious, this guy wrote great jokes, a gift I sometimes think he took for granted before he started imitating Bergman and strove for integrity. This one's a hoot, even if it is adapted from his own play and was directed by Herbert Ross and not himself.
The idea that Woody's gormless Alan character escapes his emotional crises by consulting his screen hero Bogart is brilliant and is expanded still further when he also dreams up his absent ex-wife to contradict Bogey's positive stroking. The plot naturally evokes the triangle at the centre of "Casablanca" with the move cleverly ending up by recreating the same sacrifice also at a misty airport with Woody quoting Bogey's immortal words in exelcis.
Along the way, Allen crams in loads of largely self-deprecating jokes and comedic situations, like his "1-2-3-4" chat-up line on the dance-floor, his description of his roughing up by two hoods chasing his girl and his imaginings of love-rival Tony Roberts' various reactions to the news of the affair between him Allen and his wife, Diane Keaton.
The playing is delightful, Roberts, whose character would have been rendered redundant if mobile phones had been around and Keaton at her kooky best (and you should see some of her outfits too!) provide great background support to Woody's monologue. Herbert Ross' direction I found swung from between conventional romantic-comedy to quirky flights of fancy sometimes too incongruously at times but nonetheless he keeps things light and fast- moving. And a special word too for Alan Lacy in the thankless task of recreating Bogart, a job he handles with relish and the necessary attention to detail.
While some of the attitudes displayed to women are somewhat Neanderthal, plus there is one distastefully unfunny exchange between Allen and Keaton on the "hilarious" subject of rape, this funny Woody Allen has many other memorable one-liners and plenty of laugh- out-loud funny scenes. How I wish he still made them like that!
The idea that Woody's gormless Alan character escapes his emotional crises by consulting his screen hero Bogart is brilliant and is expanded still further when he also dreams up his absent ex-wife to contradict Bogey's positive stroking. The plot naturally evokes the triangle at the centre of "Casablanca" with the move cleverly ending up by recreating the same sacrifice also at a misty airport with Woody quoting Bogey's immortal words in exelcis.
Along the way, Allen crams in loads of largely self-deprecating jokes and comedic situations, like his "1-2-3-4" chat-up line on the dance-floor, his description of his roughing up by two hoods chasing his girl and his imaginings of love-rival Tony Roberts' various reactions to the news of the affair between him Allen and his wife, Diane Keaton.
The playing is delightful, Roberts, whose character would have been rendered redundant if mobile phones had been around and Keaton at her kooky best (and you should see some of her outfits too!) provide great background support to Woody's monologue. Herbert Ross' direction I found swung from between conventional romantic-comedy to quirky flights of fancy sometimes too incongruously at times but nonetheless he keeps things light and fast- moving. And a special word too for Alan Lacy in the thankless task of recreating Bogart, a job he handles with relish and the necessary attention to detail.
While some of the attitudes displayed to women are somewhat Neanderthal, plus there is one distastefully unfunny exchange between Allen and Keaton on the "hilarious" subject of rape, this funny Woody Allen has many other memorable one-liners and plenty of laugh- out-loud funny scenes. How I wish he still made them like that!