FBMR - Hollywood Ending
Film-Buff Movie Reviews


HOLLYWOOD ENDING (2002) **

I hate to say it, but I think Woody Allen is losing his touch. I was pretty disappointed with this film. The story sounded like it had some promise. Unfortunately, it just didn’t seem to work. There weren’t even as many one-line jokes or quips as there usually are in his films. Never have all the jokes ever worked in his previous works, but stastically if only half the jokes work you’ll have a funnier movie if you try a million jokes than only ten. I exagerate, and I digress.

Woody Allen plays Val Waxman, a neurotic director, famous for his movies about New York City, who was at his peak ten to fifteen years ago but has fallen into a rut with a series of flops (now that’s a stretch). His ex-wife, Ellie (Téa Leoni) pushes to get him to direct a new potential blockbuster set in NYC. Unfortunately, she is now involved with the head of the studio that is producing the film. She left Val for Hal, the studio head. That doesn’t sit very well with Val, but this film is a once in a lifetime opportunity and could launch his come-back. Of course, that would be all too perfect. Instead, a couple of days before the shoot begins, he goes psychosematically blind. He has to try to fake his way through directing the film.

This movie is practically devoid of Allen regulars, who really seem to make his movies work (Alan Alda, Mia Farrow, Diane Keaton, etc ... ). There are a few laughs, though, like I mentioned. The “business meeting” with Ellie where their break-up keeps popping up is fun. Some of his slap-stick is kinda funny too, but nothing compared to his earlier stuff. Granted, he was younger then. It was also intersting to see the behind-the-scenes stuff and antics of making a movie. Not many people get to see just how much work it can be.

IMDb - Hollywood Ending