Mighty Aphrodite
Mighty Aphrodite
R | 13 September 1995 (USA)
Mighty Aphrodite Trailers

When Lenny and his wife, Amanda, adopt a baby, Lenny realizes that his son is a genius and becomes obsessed with finding the boy's biological mother in hopes that she will be brilliant too. But when he learns that Max's mother is Linda Ash, a kindhearted prostitute and porn star, Lenny is determined to reform her immoral lifestyle. A Greek chorus chimes in to relate the plot to Greek mythology in this quirky comedy.

Reviews
Dave

This is a laugh-out-loud comedy that is very well-written and well- acted.I've enjoyed several of Woody Allen's films and this is my favourite of them. Mira Sorvino is excellent, playing the biological mother of Allen's character's adopted son.

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estebangonzalez10

"Of all human weaknesses, obsession is the most dangerous, and the silliest!"When you direct and write a film every year you can't expect to always deliver a masterpiece, and that is the case with Woody Allen's Mighty Aphrodite. It's a delightful and enjoyable film, but it doesn't seem to add up to much. When you compare it to his extensive filmography it wouldn't even land in the top half of his best work because it's far from being memorable. He's directed so many movies that several of them feel incredibly familiar and for that reason they are easy to forget. He repeats several of the same themes throughout his movies and Mighty Aphrodite isn't the exception, especially putting a lot of emphasis on love and infidelity which are recurring themes in Allen's films. At times his films stand out for simply capturing these human emotions in a new way, and at others they do thanks to a particularly strong performance. In this case it was Mira Sorvino's supportive performance as Linda Ash that garnered all the attention playing a hooker who isn't all that right in the head. The way she delivered her lines with her high-pitched voice contributed to the overall comedy of her character. If there is one thing that I will remember from this forgettable Allen film it's her Oscar winning performance. Despite her solid performance this is still one of the weakest Woody Allen movies I've seen.In Mighty Aphrodite Woody Allen plays Lenny, a sportswriter, who is married to Amanda (Helena Bonham Carter). In order to spark some life into their monotonous relationship they decide to adopt a son who they name Max. After several years Lenny is surprised to discover that Max is such a brilliant kid and so he decides to search for his biological parents convinced that they must have great genes. He visits the adoption agency and is denied the files, but his curiosity gets the best of him and he finds a way to steal them. He tracks down the biological mother only to discover that she is a prostitute who is now going by the name of Linda Ash (Mira Sorvino). Lenny sets up an appointment with her and is disappointed that she ended up being so dumb. Concerned with her lifestyle, Lenny tries to help Linda by reforming her and setting her up with some respectable man. Meanwhile, Lenny and Amanda are going through some marital problems of their own. The narrative is linked with a bizarre Greek chorus (led by F. Murray Abraham) that compares Lenny's story with the Greek tragedy Oedipus.Allen always delivers some witty dialogues and funny situations in his films which make them such an entertaining ride. Mighty Aphrodite has a few moments like this that work well, but as a whole it is a very forgettable movie. Allen plays once again a sort of neurotic character who is fascinated with discovering who his adopted son's mother really is. Sorvino's performance is brilliant and elevates the material, but there isn't more to it. Neither Allen nor Bonham Carter seem to stand out and their relationship isn't central to the film. The Greek chorus was far from interesting and only took away from the story by trying to hard to compare the modern tale with the Greek one. It's a light and corny film that is saved by Sorvino's presence and Allen's distinctive style of humor. http://estebueno10.blogspot.com/

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namashi_1

Woody Allen is boon to Cinema. A blessed talent, a potential institution, who makes his cinema fun, with ease. 'Mighty Aphrodite' is a yet another classic from this genius. Humor, Romance and emotions are brought out with flying colors.'Mighty Aphrodite' is probably the funniest rom-com Allen attempted in the 90's. Allen plays a hen-picked husband, Helena Bonham Carter is his wife, who have adopted a son, who's mom is Sorvino. Allen adds in narrators in the name of F.Murray Abraham, and thus, starts this whacked-up journey. It's a terrific film, with a more-than-flawless culmination.Allen's direction & writing, as always, is perfect. I also loved Carlo Di Palma's Cinematography. In the acting department, Sorvino is marvelous. She deserved all the acclaim and awards she got! Allen is lovable. Undoubtedly, one of his best works. Helena Bonham Carter is superb as the bossy wife. F.Murray Abraham is flawless as the lead narrator.'Mighty Aphrodite' is a must watch film. It's a winner all the way! Hence. from my side, Two Big Thumbs Up!

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LeaBlacks_Balls

Sportswriter Lenny Weinrib (Allen) and his wife (Bonham-Carter) adopt a baby from an anonymous mother. After a few years pass, Lenny starts to wonder about the woman. Curiosity quickly gets the better of him, so he steals files from the adoption agency and sets out to find her. Lenny is dismayed, maybe even terrified, to find that Linda (Sorvino,) the mother, is a beautiful $200-an-hour prostitute. So that he can fashion the proper mother-son reunion and save himself from what fate seems to have in store, he determines to 'reform' Linda. Interwoven throughout the story is a Greek chorus (including F. Murray Abraham and Olympia Dukakis,) who add their own unique take on the proceedings.I've always preferred Woody Allen's comedies over his dramas. This one is probably one of my favorites. This film is a great example of Woody Allen showing no interest in convincing his audience into swallowing down some serious morals. It's light, fluffy, shamelessly sentimental and does not suffer a bit because of it. The plot is generally an uplifting tale of changing ones life for the better, and intertwined with this is some of Woody Allen's best humor. There are many entertaining characters, especially Mira Sorvino's prostitute and Michael Rapaport's dim-witted boxer, Kevin.The stand-out here is Mira Sorvino. She is absolutely enthralling, with her ditsy nature and confidence masking a timid vulnerability, all of which earned her a well deserved Oscar. Linda could have been an over the top, cartoonish character, Pygmalion on crack. But under the careful direction of Allen, Sorvino gives the best performance of her career so far, and one of the funniest performances ever.

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