Codeliusthe2nd

Café Society

For some time, I've been wanting to watch more Woody Allen movies. Being one of the most iconic directors that I know of, I've really wanted to start to see why exactly he is so well known. When I had heard about Café Society, I knew that it was something that would get me started into Woody Allen's filmography. Now, the only Woody Allen film that I've actually seen is Annie Hall, which I actually surprisingly enjoyed. Going into this, I knew that it was going to be a completely different movie, which it was, but I could see some similar concepts when it came to his filmmaking. I had one major problem with this film; Jesse Eisenberg. I've had a love/hate relationship with him. I loved him as Lex Luthor in Batman vs Superman, as well as in The Social Network, but I wasn't a huge fan of him in Zombieland, as well as this film. It may just have been the writing, but I found myself cringing throughout because of him. His character had some really awkward lines, as well as some awkward actions, which started to get on my nerves by the end of the film. He seemed distant and uninterested throughout the entire film, as if he really didn't care about giving an honest performance. It may be my love/hate relationship with Eisenberg that made me not enjoy him in this, but I just couldn't enjoy the film as much. While Eisenberg kept embarrassing me, the rest of the cast was fantastic. I was really surprised at how much I liked Steve Carrell, since I wasn't the biggest fan of him starting out. I've really only known him as a comedian, and thought that up until I saw him in Foxcatcher, and then I saw that he could actually do some great dramatic roles. Altogether, I actually really did like him in this. Blake Lively was lovely as usual, and Corey Stoll did a fantastic job. But the real star of the film was Kristen Stewart. She seemed to electrify the film every time she entered frame. Whether it be on the golden beaches of California or the glamorous bar in New York City, she seemed to completely consume the screen. I couldn't imagine how hard it is for her to break away from her role in Twilight, so it's good to see her trying new things. I know that I loved her in Still Alice, and I was really excited to hear that she had a major role in a Woody Allen feature. It's nice to see her spreading her wings and getting into roles that you normally wouldn't think that she would be into. The sets on this film impressed me more than most of the actors did. The sets were gorgeous, especially the homes in Los Angeles and the club in New York City. Paired with some stunning cinematography, they were able to create a perfect atmosphere that truly captured what it was like in the 30's. The yellows of the west coast and the more neutral tones of the east coast really were an interesting contrast, especially how they correlate with the tone of the film in those locations. And the film wouldn't be complete without a fantastic soundtrack, which the film luckily did have. With the sets, cinematography, and soundtrack working together, Café Society was destined to be good. Woody Allen has become notorious in the past few years, due to some things that happened in his past. That's the man that I know, the man who has directed some movies that almost everybody has heard of. While I do have to take that into consideration when watching his films, I really don't let that influence me when watching it. I think that films need to be watched with a grain of salt when it comes to a director's life. While Woody Allen's life may not be the prettiest, it doesn't mean that you should stop watching his films. If Jesse Eisenberg wasn't in the film, I think that Café Society would have been one of the best films of the year. While the film may seem racially stale (due to the fact that there are no African Americans represented in the time period), it's still an entertaining look into the café society of the 1930's. Now that I've seen another Woody Allen film, I really am excited to see what else he has to do, especially his modern films. While I may not like him as a person, I think that I'm going to enjoy Allen's filmography.

DamianSuarez

Café Society

Un retrato del amor no correspondido ambientado en la época dorada de Hollywood es el relato estéticamente impecable que Woody Allen crea en una ola de violencia, odio y rencor. Una comedia ligera cargada de actuaciones memorables y personajes resaltantes.