Legendary comic filmmakers Sandy Bates (Allen) is tired of being funny. Teetering on the brink of a nervous breakdown Bates attends a weekend retrospective of his films only to confront the meaning of his work the memories of his great love Dorrie (Charlotte Rampling) and the merits of settling down with new girlfriends Isobel (Marie-Christine Barrault). Plagued by hallucinations alien visitations and the bloodless studio executives trying to re-cut his bleak new film Bates struggles to find a reason to go on living. But when he falls prey to a gun-wielding... fanatic his zany brush with death reveals that there is value to his own existence and that often the best reason to go on living is life itself. [show more]
Woody Allen's tribute to Fellini's "8 1/2" is an alternately riotous and introspective look at fame, creativity, and the search for love amidst all this craziness. Allen's character, Sandy Bates, is a famed comedy director who of late has turned to bleak dramas, alienating his fans -- certainly this is Allen's response to his own fans, who castigated him for the depressing Bergman pastiche "Interiors." The film moves fluidly between dreams, memories, fantasies, scenes from Bates' films, and the present day reality. Unlike "Interiors," there's plenty to laugh at here -- especially the Felliniesque depiction of Bates' fans with their exaggerated features -- but also some poignant meditation on mortality and the way in which love makes life worth living. The film is best summed up by two diametrically opposite moments: the hilarious scene where aliens inform Bates that they liked his "early, funny ones" best; and the gorgeous scene where Bates remembers a peaceful moment of pure love with his old girlfriend Dorrie (Charlotte Rampling).
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Please note this is a region 2 DVD and will require a region 2 (Europe) or region Free DVD Player in order to play Legendary comic filmmakers Sandy Bates (Allen) is tired of being funny Teetering on the brink of a nervous breakdown Bates attends a weekend retrospective of his films only to confront the meaning of his work the memories of his great love Dorrie (Charlotte Rampling) and the merits of settling down with new girlfriends Isobel (Marie-Christine Barrault) Plagued by hallucinations alien visitations and the bloodless studio executives trying to re-cut his bleak new film Bates struggles to find a reason to go on living But when he falls prey to a gun-wielding fanatic his zany brush with death reveals that there is value to his own existence and that often the best reason to go on living is life itself Actors Woody Allen Charlotte Rampling Jessica Harper Marie-Christine Barrault Tony Roberts Daniel Stern & Amy WrightDirector Woody AllenCertificate 12 years and overYear 1980Screen WidescreenLanguages English - Dolby (20) StereoAdditional Languages French ; German ; Italian ; SpanishSubtitles Danish ; Dutch ; Finnish ; French ; German ; Italian ; Norwegian ; Spanish ; Swedish ; English for the hearing impairedDuration 1 hour and 31 minutes (approx)
Woody Allen wrote, directed and starred in this film about a comic film-maker who no longer considers himself funny. He decides to move into serious film-making, but his efforts are poorly received by critics and public alike. He withdraws to the Stardust Hotel, where a retrospective of his work is being run, and ends up reflecting on his life, his loves and his art.
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