Original, funny,acid, thoughtful....time will pass and we will remembre not too many film directors of our era. One of Them will be Mr Allen. That is for sure

Woody Allen has had his way with so many women here it's hard to keep track (of them.) Judy Davis, Elizabeth Shue and Kirstie Alley are just a few of them. What's even more bizarre is keeping up with actors who enacting scenes from his books who represent him and his exes. The actors themselves are as usual very good in his films, especially Judy Davis. I won't begin to discuss the comparison to his personal life as other reviewers have, but I won't try to hide the fact I just didn't get the real point of this. I was disappointed in its obvious use of expletives of not only the f word but the c word women don't like. It's very hard to take, especially the anger of the women yelling at him (psychiatrist Kirstie during a session with a patient on the couch having to endure such hostility) and Woody cussing a blue streak, calling his exes those words. This is a very angry movie, and I was surprised to see it was nominated for original screenplay. The craftsmanship or outline of plot and characters and some "Citizen Kane"-like attributes may make this a little more interesting to some, but if you are used to "Hannah' and the like, you may find this to be too offensive. I admit lead characters are not always likable in movies, but it detracts from the enjoyment factor even if the film has other merits. This was definitely from his low point in the 1990s, and one, that honestly, despite the fact I thought I remembered liking this, has gotten not worth my time to watch, with better Woody Allen films to see.

Harry Block (Woody Allen) has angered his former sister-in-law Lucy (Judy Davis) with his latest semi-autobiographical novel. In it, her fictionalized character is having an affair with him while he's still married to her sister. She almost kills him for using the truth. He's quite successful but is having writer's block. He wants to take his son to an award ceremony but his ex-wife Joan (Kirstie Alley) won't allow it. His young girlfriend Fay (Elisabeth Shue) is getting married to his former best friend Larry (Billy Crystal). As Harry talks about his books, different actors play the fictionalized version of the people in his life.I love the meta of this movie. I'm not saying Woody Allen is actually this character in real life but he has played versions of this self-absorbed neurotic character. He's sex-obsessed, ugly and selfish. I also love the little vignettes depicting his novels. However, it does get overwhelming and tiring. Eventually I got sick of this character. Although I'm sure that's part of the point for Woody.

I have been looking forward to seeing this film for quite a while, and when I finally had a chance I was pretty quick to take it up. As I started it, I regretted it immediately, I was bored and annoyed. Towards the end, it began to grow on me, but a lot just didn't do it for me.What I liked: I absolutely love the concept and the story. I have not seen any like it. What I like most is that while there is an actual plot and external events, it's more of a character study. They take an unlikable character and give him plenty of depth and sympathy to make up for his brash decisions and opinions. I love Woody Allen as a writer. I also liked the short stories; how they were narrated, the actual relevance they had to Harry's problems and friends, and how they were somewhat diverse. It wasn't just about the message. I both liked and disliked the scenes where they would cut to the same shot. It is very reminiscent of Jean- Loc Goddard's Breathless, which at times gave it a very relaxed, more realistic feel, considering that you could interpret that there were probably moments of silence between conversation, like something that happens in real conversation. However, when you cut in mid-sentence or make too many quick cuts, it's distracting and annoying to try and listen.What I hated: While I love that film is about Harry Block, I hated him. His guts, his obsession with sex, and the fact that he is so damn awkward. I hate Woody Allen as an actor. I appreciate when people stutter, pause, mix up words, or ramble in movies because that's what people do in real life. However, Woody Allen takes it and makes it absolutely obnoxious. His arms flail around, he never makes eye contact (or keeps his eyes on the road while driving).Overall, the word I would use to describe this movie is 'inconsistent,' with some scene being very funny and entertaining, while others made me want to scratch my DVD apart.