Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
When a bumbling New Yorker is dumped by his activist girlfriend, he travels to a tiny Latin American nation and becomes involved in its latest rebellion.
Woody Allen's early anarchic comedy is a loose collection of gags and satirical sketches lampooning politics, revolution, and media culture. The plot is thin and episodic, serving mainly as a frame for rapid-fire jokes rather than a cohesive narrative. Allen's physical comedy and neurotic persona are already well-established, with a likable ensemble supporting him. Cinematographically it's functional but unremarkable for the era. The novelty comes from Allen's distinctive absurdist voice and sharp political parody, though the film is less refined than his later work. The ending, like much of the film, is scattershot rather than satisfying.