Case studies in narcissism
May. 6th, 2007 05:09 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
taibaНарциссизм в кино: Вуди Аллен против Салли Поттер
http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/1998/02/02/smallb7.html
Here's a tale of two egos -- one belonging to Woody Allen and the other to Sally Potter.
Allen and Potter both engage in huge ego trips in movies they wrote, directed and starred in. Allen's typically idiosyncratic tale, "Deconstructing Harry," is showing at the Esquire Theatre, while Potter's sexual fantasy is "The Tango Lesson" at the Mayan.
Potter comes across as an aging woman who fulfills her reverie about a young Latin lover by writing it into a script in which she plays the lead role, casts her co-star and throws in a couple of other macho dancers for good measure. The best thing about "Tango Lesson" is the tango, but even that lacks the sexual energy associated with the dance.
Potter's co-star is Pablo Veron, an accomplished dancer who choreographed the movie's dances. Veron's moody presence brings the only personality to the movie. His dancing sometimes is reminiscent of Donald O'Connor and Gene Kelly, especially in a scene in which Veron and Potter dance in the street in pouring rain.
In the movie, Potter first sees Veron dancing the tango on a Paris stage. She falls in love with the man as well as the dance and asks him to teach her. With off-and-on instruction from Veron in Paris and two other men in Argentina, Potter becomes proficient enough at the tango that Veron asks her to be his partner on stage.
While their relationship matures, Potter pokes fun at Hollywood as she tries to sell a movie script named "Rage" about a serial murderer killing off models. Scenes from that screenplay, in color against the black-and-white of "Tango Lesson," are tossed nonsensically into the plot.
There appear to be efforts at symbolism but they have no meaning other than curiosity. Potter and Veron also speak in French, English and Spanish at odd times, so that English subtitles keep popping up on the screen, only to fade when they resume speaking English again.
Of the two ego trips, Woody Allen's is the best, but still is not up to what he has done.
The story is what Allen fans have come to know well -- a neurotic New York writer trying to deal with the mess he has made out of his life. This time he plays Harry Block, who writes novels and short stories about his personal life. Of course, there is quite a bit of sexual content, mostly involving Allen or his dream alter ego (played by Richard Benjamin).
There is a huge cast in "Deconstructing Harry" with lots of minor roles for the likes of Demi Moore as his sexy dream wife, Elisabeth Shue as his girlfriend and Billy Crystal as an old friend who takes Shue away. Crystal also plays the devil in a scene showing Allen's picture of Hell, which is peopled with naked women in chains.
There is enough humor in "Deconstructing Harry" to give it life, but it is a little too predictable and often drags. Allen fans will like it, but he has done better.
Brad Smith reviews movies and plays for The Denver Business Journal.
http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/1998/02/02/smallb7.html
Here's a tale of two egos -- one belonging to Woody Allen and the other to Sally Potter.
Allen and Potter both engage in huge ego trips in movies they wrote, directed and starred in. Allen's typically idiosyncratic tale, "Deconstructing Harry," is showing at the Esquire Theatre, while Potter's sexual fantasy is "The Tango Lesson" at the Mayan.
Potter comes across as an aging woman who fulfills her reverie about a young Latin lover by writing it into a script in which she plays the lead role, casts her co-star and throws in a couple of other macho dancers for good measure. The best thing about "Tango Lesson" is the tango, but even that lacks the sexual energy associated with the dance.
Potter's co-star is Pablo Veron, an accomplished dancer who choreographed the movie's dances. Veron's moody presence brings the only personality to the movie. His dancing sometimes is reminiscent of Donald O'Connor and Gene Kelly, especially in a scene in which Veron and Potter dance in the street in pouring rain.
In the movie, Potter first sees Veron dancing the tango on a Paris stage. She falls in love with the man as well as the dance and asks him to teach her. With off-and-on instruction from Veron in Paris and two other men in Argentina, Potter becomes proficient enough at the tango that Veron asks her to be his partner on stage.
While their relationship matures, Potter pokes fun at Hollywood as she tries to sell a movie script named "Rage" about a serial murderer killing off models. Scenes from that screenplay, in color against the black-and-white of "Tango Lesson," are tossed nonsensically into the plot.
There appear to be efforts at symbolism but they have no meaning other than curiosity. Potter and Veron also speak in French, English and Spanish at odd times, so that English subtitles keep popping up on the screen, only to fade when they resume speaking English again.
Of the two ego trips, Woody Allen's is the best, but still is not up to what he has done.
The story is what Allen fans have come to know well -- a neurotic New York writer trying to deal with the mess he has made out of his life. This time he plays Harry Block, who writes novels and short stories about his personal life. Of course, there is quite a bit of sexual content, mostly involving Allen or his dream alter ego (played by Richard Benjamin).
There is a huge cast in "Deconstructing Harry" with lots of minor roles for the likes of Demi Moore as his sexy dream wife, Elisabeth Shue as his girlfriend and Billy Crystal as an old friend who takes Shue away. Crystal also plays the devil in a scene showing Allen's picture of Hell, which is peopled with naked women in chains.
There is enough humor in "Deconstructing Harry" to give it life, but it is a little too predictable and often drags. Allen fans will like it, but he has done better.
Brad Smith reviews movies and plays for The Denver Business Journal.
