A Rainy Day in New York

Nothing too surprising. This is Woody Allen in Manhattan. "A rainy day in New York" came to me as a rather naive and refreshing way of doing what W Allen does. Gastby and Ashleigh question what they are and what they are becoming. They do that - to my perception - through the eyes of someone of their age. They think but do not overthink. Action immediately follows. They do not get lost in doubts and do not have to deal with an ego bigger than them. They act, they feel, they learn and repeat. They have so much to learn from that one day. I found all three young characters likeable and empowered, and the actors on top of their game (Timothee Chalamet, Elle Fanning and Selena Gomez). I would have loved to spend that day by their side The rain never bothered me anyways.

The script has not a real story, but that fact is almost a statement to show that a film can and may be dialogue-driven. When Tarantino was stupid enough to let every catchy dialogue slip out of his last film, Allen must have caught those lines and let his actors Rock and Roll with them.

Ellen Fanning. Did I know her? No. Do I want to know her forever now? Yes! The two or three scenes where she has monologues are already legendary. And if she keeps her mouth shut, she still completely dominates the frame.

NY... 'She' does not easily combine with "melancholic", but Woody Allen is able to show and exploit that side of this city. Love it. No one else is so capable of visualizing the love you can have for this city.

Allen does not often sink through the 'class' his dialogues already have, to really expose underlying emotions in a more raw way. A lot often remains wrapped in infectious and very erudite - Jewish - humor. But at the very end of this movie actress Cherry Jones has the opportunity to cause goosebumps on my arms in a short, gripping monologue that digs up those emotions. It is proof of the total control that Allen has over his profession over the years. Just like the entire movie. A control that shows itself in a total release of the material, as if this film was recorded in one take of pure improvisation.

Great movie!

Everything you would expect from a Woody Allen film taking place in New York City. Great dialogue and a decent story with great acting.

It's true that Woody Allen is writing silly dialogue that's completely old-fashioned and way above the heads of any youngster in New York, and it's true that the story here is completely silly and motivations are way off. But it's somehow a charming way to spend a couple of hours. Elle Fanning is kooky and does her best to be a chip off the old Diane Keaton block. Timothee Chalamet is dreamy and solid but doesn't get enough clout. I'm not fond of the huddle of middle-aged film lotharios jumping all over Fanning, and I don't think Selena Gomez had enough sharp lines. However, it's another study from Allen of New York as a live character taking over the people in it and sweeping them along. Cherry Jones is extremely well-cast as the mother with a secret and Allen saves the best till last. I probably won't watch it again for a long time, not one of his best but not the worst either. It's a shame that Netflix have done what they did to Allen. Not just for him, but the hundreds of names that rolled past in the credits of all the cast and crew who worked so hard on this movie to have it junked in the US, who did nothing to deserve this. Thank god I live in Europe where art is respected, and we have the intelligence to separate the work from the artist. I look forward to the next one to come out.

The movie has quite a strange period feeling and maybe this artistic tool was intentional. Everybody uses smartphones already, but for conversations only. No Twitter, no other social media... Some jokes were actually a bit tasteless, very atypical for Woody Allen. A couple of chuckles throughout the movie, typical Woody Allen. Ellen Fanning had the best lines and she was the best overall. Liev Schreiber was very good also with the material he was given. Cinematography is beautiful and perfect for a rom-com - warm, bright, sparkling and full of colours. Chalamet was just wooden and dull. That was the first performance by him I've seen and I don't want to judge him too early or too harsh but he seems to be extremely overrated. Maybe the right lead for a late Woody Allen film.