One for the fans, Weide’s doc is a pleasant career overview but if you’re looking for something more probing, it’ll drive you Bananas.
A must-see for any Allen aficionado and just about anyone who craves an insight into the publicity-shy man's glorious career.
The film – which also boasts frank interviews with a number of key collaborators as well as a wealth of rare archival material – does a good job of justifying why Allen continues to matter without whitewashing his story.
The film feels somewhat rushed, especially in the second half when Weide focuses on Allen’s working relationships with his actors and his easy directorial style, so it is not surprising to learn that this UK cinema release is a cut-down version of a much longer American TV special.
This documentary is a pleasure, though we don't get too far beneath the surface.
There is more to Woody Allen: A Documentary than its modest title suggests, although perhaps not quite enough to justify swapping that “a” for “the”.
Too many clips lead to an overlong running time, but this is a must-see for fans, and anyone who has come to doubt Allen's hallowed place in modern comedy.
Mia Farrow is a notable but hardly surprising absentee from a documentary that leaves you hungry to revisit personal favourites such as Manhattan and Broadway Danny Rose.
Allen is the master of “show, don’t tell”, which means the best insights into who he really is are already in his movies. In other words, I’ll take Manhattan.
Not a film to be missed.
Breezy and unbalanced.
Robert Weide, director of Woody Allen: A Documentary
Homage to many stardust memories
Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee from Saturday June 23, 2012, until Thursday June 28, 2012. More info: www.dca.org.uk
Edinburgh Filmhouse, Edinburgh from Monday July 2, 2012, until Sunday July 8, 2012. More info: www.filmhousecinema.com
Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow from Friday August 3, 2012, until Monday August 6, 2012. More info: http://www.glasgowfilm.org/theatre/
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