Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
Writer Harry Block draws inspiration from people he knows, and from events that happened to him, sometimes causing these people to become alienated from him as a result.
Woody Allen's most confrontational and autobiographical work features a fractured, jump-cut narrative structure that feels genuinely distinctive — raw, neurotic, and formally daring by Allen's standards. The ensemble cast (Kirstie Alley, Richard Benjamin, Billy Crystal, Judy Davis, Robin Williams) delivers sharp, energetic performances, especially Judy Davis in full manic mode. The handheld, deliberately rough cinematography is intentional but still functional rather than beautiful. The meta-fictional conceit of characters bleeding into their author's real life is handled with unusual bite and self-laceration. The ending wraps somewhat neatly given the film's chaotic energy, feeling slightly deflating after such abrasive momentum.