Ever since Woody Allen left his beloved New York City behind to work in Europe, the quality of his movies has been uneven. Allen started his foreign venture strongly with the brutal “Match Point.” And in 2008, he captured some magic with the sexually provocative “Vicky Christina Barcelona” pitting what many speculated was Allen’s new muse Scarlett Johansson against the simmering Spanish hunk Javier Bardem.
After returning briefly to NYC to deliver the interesting but largely off-putting “Whatever Works” last year, Allen is back in London giving us “You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger.” Allen’s new blonde takes the form of Naomi Watts who plays Sally, the frustrated wife of a novelist named Roy (played by Josh Brolin). The tension in the relationship threatens to boil over, as Roy’s latest book can’t find a publisher. To make matters worse Sally’s father, Alfie (Anthony Hopkins), is going through a late in life crisis and has left his wife Helena (Gemma Jones) to try his luck with much younger women. The women Alfie pursues are so young in fact that even he is surprised and a bit embarrassed by his relationship with them.
The story in “Tall Dark Stranger” concerns crumbling relationships and the value in security for some and in not remaining complacent for others. Long-term monogamy is both denounced and supported by Allen’s multi-character script. Sally and Roy may not be right for one another and their inevitable parting may lead to a better life for them. But when Alfie leaves Helena to chase women three or more times his younger, we question whether such a move could ever make logical sense. We’ve seen this kind of thing before, but Allen’s smooth direction and the solid performances by A-List talent keeps the film consistently entertaining.
The highlight has to be Hopkins who has lost great amount of weight since we last saw him but has not lost his ability to make us feel the characters he creates and inhabits. As Alfie, he makes us despise him and then feel profoundly bad for him. It is a range of emotions that few actors could adequately convey and transfer convincingly to the viewer. And the 73 year-old Hopkins is very much up to the challenge especially when he gets into a fist-fight with a younger man.
It was also very good to see Antonio Banderas in the supporting role of Greg, an art gallery owner that Sally works for. This smaller role is written with enough substance to give Banderas one of his best characters in a long time. The film depends heavily on the quality of the performances with no one character taking on the typical neuroticism that has become Allen’s trademark. And Banderas plays his part well sharing in relationship troubles with the rest of the cast.
“You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger” is a straightly told and charming installment in Woody Allen’s European journey. But even though Allen’s flirtation across the great pond has produced a steady stream of interesting films, I find myself wishing he’d come back to the city that gave him his big break, if just for one last great neurotic flick.
NOTE: Netflix is offering a number of Allen’s best films via their streaming service. In the last couple weeks, I’ve watched MANHATTAN and what I consider one of his best films, CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS. HANNAH AND HER SISTERS and ANNIE HALL are available as well. Netflix can make a rainy or cold weekend an everything Woody one!
