Rifkin's Festival

Possibly more clever than outrightly funny, Woody Allen's charming RIFKIN'S FESTIVAL stars Wallace Shawn as a geeky film studies teacher who's attending the San Sebastian Film Festival with his wife (Gina Gershon), who's a publicist. As in his STARDUST MEMORIES, Allen shows he has little interest in box office, press conferences, fake glitz, and the self-anointed.

While Shawn trudges around the festival which promotes, in his opinion, garbage, he re-casts the situations in which he finds himself in scenes from his favorite films (but with the actors in this film). So we see these 4:3 B&W inserts of films by Truffaut, Bergman, Bunuel, Godard, Fellini, and a funny CITIZEN KANE bit.

Oy vey! Not as star studded as in days of yore, but some familiar faces show up, including Christoph Waltz as Death, Steve Guttenberg and Tammy Blanchard as Rifkin's brother and his wife, Richard Kind as Rifkin's father. We also get Elena Anaya as the doctor, Louis Garrel as the "star," and Douglas McGrath as Gil.

And Wallace Shawn does well as Woody's alter-ego, but he can't deliver a line or a joke with Woody's aplomb.

As we get older and love doesn't seem to be enough and life is actually - quite simply inbalanced and almost artificial - watching Woody Allen movies brings life to the relatable and makes you laugh at the ridiculous of human behavior. Especially the fantasies of grandeur, - the intimacy between professor and the student or plumber and plumbers assistant, what have you, Rifkins Festival still plays at the comedy of the desperation and the fear to become stagnant.

Well shot. Good speed. Bold choice in actor, but the chemistry between authenticity and subtly feels balanced throughout.

Don't watch it expecting an Oscar. Watch it to enjoy cinema again. The movie also tells you that.

I enjoyed this film. Allen speaks through Wallace Shaun whose character says he was happiest at being a film teacher. His respect and love of classical European film directors come face to face with today's and he finds today's lacking. One of my favorite scenes from Breathless is shown. Some scenes are hilarious. I found myself laughing out loud. Something I haven't done in a while. In particular, Louis Garrel character as a contemporary film director finds himself being interviewed at the festival by journalists and then the bongo drum scene. The San Sebastián location is magnificent. Lot of references to Paris and New York. When he says there's nothing like walking down Boulevard Saint-Michel in the rain - you know what he means.

I am wanting like crazy to see this movie. I keep looking for it and I keep reading about it, and seeing video previews of it, but nothing is out yet. Why isn't Amazon showing it?

What I do see is that most reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes and elsewhere are prejudicially rating this very low, and clearly the reason is peer pressure. Since the absurd "hatchet job" documentary as Woody calls it "Allen V. Farrow" was released with HBO's name on it people are afraid to say anything good about Woody or his movies, and certainly will not release them without some kind of fight. This is a whole national witch hunt - but directed at one very famous and prominent American genius of a filmmaker. It is just not right.

This is so unfair and prejudicial that I feel totally correct and justified to give "Rifkin's Festival" a 10/10 stars to attempt to do my tiny part to rebalance the ratings just a little bit. I believe Woody.

The idea that Woody after 2 investigations and another to determined if he and SoonYi were fit to adopt children would have molested Dylan Farrow while an entire household of people were told to keep an eye on him,for 10 minutes in an attic, that is so small that even if a train set was up there even a little kid could not even fit up there - it's ridiculous. 30 years later he is still being dogged but these absurd accusations. Even Mia Farrow did not hold Roman Polanky guilty for drugging and raping a 13 year old girl ... so, this is all about Mia and her festering hate and vengeance.

So, as soon as I see this movie, if I need to I will return and adjust the rating should need be, but Woody's movies are so great I doubt the occasion will arise.

It isn't a great film, but I enjoyed spending time watching Wallace Shawn reciting Woody Allen's genius words about the meaning of life, the pretentiousness of art and the adrenaline of new love. Allen rarely disappoints... and this late-life crisis hits most of the classic notes.