3.5 out of 5 stars
We live in an era where it is almost impossible to separate the artist from his art, regardless of the expertise and artistry they bring to their craft. The public’s scrutiny of the artisan’s personal life factors into how it is received. This is especially true of director Woody Allen. An Academy Award-winning craftsman who has experienced the extreme highs and lows of the film industry. Most of the valleys of his life have been brought on by his own choices. Still, does his past mean he should not be allowed to create? A critical discussion for a different forum, while this is a time for merely critiquing his current work.
The director who is behind visionary works like Manhattan, Annie Hall, The Purple Rose of Cairo and Midnight in Paris once again partners with the celebrated cinematographer, Vittorio Storaro (Apocalypse Now). This project gets them back to the streets of the big apple for the production of A Rainy Day in New York. A youthful adventure that occurs on the streets of Manhattan by Gatsby (Timothee Chalamet) and his girlfriend and journalism student, Ashleigh (Elle Fanning). Their travels bring them to the big city from Yardley College because the young journalist has been given a chance of a lifetime to interview filmmaker, Roland Pollard (Liev Schreiber). While Gatsby is hoping for a romantic weekend with his captivating and seemingly innocent sweetheart, Ashleigh manages to get caught up in the world of the film industry when she is given a scoop from the famed director.
While she is whisked away by various personalities and situations in the world of filmmaking, Gatsby walks the streets of his youth. He had grown up in New York City and seems to relish the time in his own brooding manner. He takes the time to visit friends and family while trying to fly under the radar of the watchful eye of his ever-vigilant mother. While waiting for calls and messages from his girlfriend on this rainy day, the moody university student manages to reconnect with one of his ex-girlfriend’s sisters, Chan (Selena Gomez). An encounter that leads to a series of relational twists and turns that is reminiscent of many of the writer/director’s screenplays, while he and Storaro manage to showcase some of the most beautiful aspects of this beloved city.
The reality of this film is that it was marred by all of the personal issues that continue to follow Woody Allen through his career. Which meant that the film did not get a US release, but has found new life through its worldwide distribution. Not that this is the best of Allen’s works, but it did deserve more recognition than it initially received. With the combination of Storaro’s vision and Allen’s writing, the movie continues to prove that this is a complementary creative partnership. New York provides a beautiful backdrop for the rich characters that Allen envisions walking the streets of his beloved hometown.
Chalamet fills the role of the lead with exceptional maturity. The actor is stretched beyond his standard abilities and embodies the dreary demeanour that tends to be the persona of Allen’s lead characters. As Hollywood’s ‘it boy’ at the moment, he manages to tap into Allen’s intention of his leading men. Primarily that they personify himself in some manner. Timothee even impresses with his musicality whenever he sits down at a piano. While the supporting cast seems to relish in each of their characters as they manage to represent a portion of the film industry, the various stations of lifestyle in the city and the youth of this new generation. Highlighted by Schreiber as the tortured director and Gomez as the unaware romantic distraction. This character-rich screenplay may be a middle of the road delivery by this award-winning director. However, Allen proves that his mediocre works are still exceptional in comparison to the majority of films on offer today.
Audiences must determine if they can separate the art from the artist. If you can enjoy a film without worrying about the man who created it, A Rainy Day in New York will satisfy your cravings for good filmmaking. While on the other hand, if Allen’s past proves to be too much for you to bear, give this film a pass for now and revisit it in a decade when all of the hype surrounding it will not matter anymore.
REEL DIALOGUE: Seeking the truth
[Subtle spoiler alert] One of the key subtext of this film is based on Gatsby's relationship with his mother. Thinking he knows her, he comes to find out that he has completely misjudged her. What is the cause for the revelation? He finally discovers the truth about her past. Something that draws them together in a unique and endearing way.
How do we discover the truths of life? Besides relying on mere intuition and personal conjecture, the search for the truth in life mainly has to be outside of the human experience. Some may look for answers in science, philosophy and religion, but how can people know where to find the answers to the ethical and moral queries?
Through this journey of enquiry, the Bible is an excellent source to consider. The wisdom found in the words of this book does not give specific answers to every situation that comes along, but it offers the framework to know how to make the right decision, and it even provides solutions to life’s more prominent considerations. In this investigation, the best places to start are in some of the books of wisdom in the Old Testament (Psalms and Proverbs) or the book of Romans in the New Testament.
‘The truth, however ugly in itself, is always curious and beautiful to seekers after it.’ - Agatha Christie
Keep seeking the truth.
