EVERYONE SAYS I LOVE YOU
RATING: 6.5 / 10 --> So-so
Review Date:
June 20, 1998
Director:
Woody
Allen
Writer:
Woody Allen
Producer:
Robert
Greenhut
Actors:
Woody
Allen as Joe
Goldie Hawn as Steffi
Alan Alda as Bob
Drew Barrymore as Skylar
Edward Norton as Holden
Genre:
Musical
Comedy
Year of Release:
1996
Woody Allen's first foray into the cinematic world of musicals,
once again boasts a cast full of brand names from Hollywood, and
Woody's ever-present comedic genius.
PLOT:
Musical that presents us with the ups and downs of a rich family
from New York. They travel to Paris and Venice, and introduce us
to their love lives through the international language of gab and
music.
CRITIQUE:
Upbeat musical that works on some entertainment-value levels, but
fails to delve into anything of great motivation for the audience
to fully enjoy. This film is your basic Allen comedy
(Standardized with the continually funny one-liners..."I
should go to Paris and jump off of the Eiffel Tower. If I took
the Concorde, I could be dead three hours earlier."), but
with much less character development, and much more songs sung by
the cast. I personally am not a fan of musicals, so I must admit
that I was somewhat surprised that I semi-enjoyed this movie. I
mean, it wasn't like EVITA, where the actors sung their lines
throughout the entire movie. These songs were nice and lively,
and introduced only when needed (Although I must admit that I
could've done without the Woodster's awful crooning, and Julia
Roberts' brave attempt at carrying a tune.)
Overall, the actors were very good, like every other Allen movie,
with Alda, Hawn and Tim Roth sticking out in my mind as the
standouts (Mind you, as per usual, I didn't care for the
Barrymore performance.) The scenery shots were beautiful,
especially the fall and winter snapshots of New York, and the
Venician and Parisian vignettes. The ending was a bit weak, but
then again, the entire story line wasn't really much to get
excited about. Just a bunch of little adventures laced through
some nice music and gorgeous scenery.
Definitely far from my Allen favourites like ANNIE HALL (8.5/10),
BANANAS (8/10) and CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS (8/10), but a
continuing sign of a genius whose only barometer of success lies
deep within his own consciousness and spirit. Keep it up, Woody!!
You're the man.
Little Known Facts:
Goldie
Hawn's real name is
Goldie Studlendgehawn.
Tracey
Ullman filmed several
scenes for this film, but all were cut by Woody to reduce the
film's running time.
Woody
Allen's real name is
Allan Stewart Konigsberg. Word on the street is that the man
speaks fluent French, and that he refuses that watch any of his
own movies once they've been released. One of his funniest
one-liners was ""I'm not afraid of dying...I just don't
want to be there when it happens." He apparently plays a
mean clarinet with his band, every Monday night in a local jazz
café in New York City.
Drew
Barrymore made her
screen debut as William Hurt's daughter in the Ken Russell film ALTERED STATES (6.5/10) in
1980. At the age of 7, she starred in a little movie by Steven Spielberg (her godfather) called E.T.
(8/10), and then spent the next few years going through
drug-abuse and alcoholism. She is half Hungarian from her
mother's side, Ildiko Jade.
Despite his reputation as an actor being firmly established, Tim Roth still likes to tend bar from time
to time. He stands 5"7.
Edward
Norton has a degree
from Yale in history.
(c) 1998 Berge Garabedian
Movie Reviews by Berge Garabedian
Movie Reviews starting with "E"
Related Reviews:
Woody Allen:
James Brundage's Review of Antz
Drew Barrymore:
James Brundage's Review of Ever After: A Cinderalla Story
James Brundage's Review of The Wedding Singer
Edward Norton: