Cafe Society: "Life Is A Comedy Written By A Sadistic Comedy Writer"

Director: Woody Allen
Writer:     Woody Allen
Starring: Jeannie Berlin
                Steve Carell
                Jesse Eisenberg
                Blake Lively
                Parker Posey
                Kristen Stewart
                Corey Stoll
                Ken Stott
                Anna Camp
Rating:    ***

Release Date: Out Now

I'm not what you would consider an expert on all things Woody Allen, and while I adored 2011's Midnight in Paris, I wasn't that enamoured with 2012's To Rome With Love. I know that is only 2 from his long and wonderful back catalogue, but that's all I have seen. Terrible I know. Cafe Society is a beautiful and enchanting drama about love and lust, but it lacked chemistry and sparkle between the cast.
                

Kristen Stewart

It's the 1930s, and a naive Bronx native named Bobby Dorfman (Eisenberg) makes the move to Hollywood, where he falls in love with a sweet and down to earth girl, Vonnie (Stewart). Unfortunately, Vonnie is having a bit of a fling with Bobby's uncle, Phil (Carell), an agent to the rich and famous. Bobby learns of the affair and moves to New York, where he is swept up in the vibrant world of high society nightclub life with his brother (Stoll).

The film, like the previous Allen films I have seen before, i like a love letter to the setting and the era that it is set in. The film is romantic to the eyes, with the sets decorated luxuriously, the camera work done with an old Hollywood glamour and the music helping to transport you to the 30's. Everything that Allen envisions is a fusion of love and passion put onto screen with sophistication and an artistic flare. There is no doubt that Woody Allen knows what he is doing when it comes to film making, if only he knew how to build chemistry between a cast.

Jesse Eisenberg
& Parker Posey

Carell, Eisenberg, Lively and even Camp in her short cameo bring life and energy to there scenes. They understand the vision that Allen has and they full embrace the work they need to d to make that happen. Then Kristen Stewart enters a scene. That woman is the epitome of a mood killer; she manages to drain the energy from all of her scenes, thereof re undoing any work that he costars and director have done. Se is dead pan and dull, and not even in a quirky way. I am in no way surprised, because nothing Stewart has been in that I have seen has actually been interesting or entertaining.

The film is a stunning look at the glamorous underworld of Hollywood and New York, and Woody Allen has created a well decorated window looking in on the lives of the rich and famous and their many faults. Cast members like Parker Posey ingest a light and life into the film, but are severely underused. Instead we are stuck with the drab Stewart who manges to completely bring this film down. It is a real shame because Cafe Society had all the makings to be a cinematic art piece.

Cafe Society - Trailer