Speaking as a fan of Woody Allen, this film seems like a giant middle finger to all those "neurotic guy chases down and eventually gets the girl of his dreams" movies. And it's equally hilarious, chilling, and heartbreaking. The ending crawl gave me goosebumps.
I can not get over how hilarious this movie is. I've been in that same place but watching how much denial takes place, how hypocritical you can be and the silly things you get into in the process of trying to forget is hilarious. Fantastic movie.
Albert Brooks paints his character as the world's worst boyfriend in Modern Romance, a study of jealousy as neurosis, but what's more interesting to me is that the character is a film editor. That really informs that neurosis, doesn't it? The relationship, like film, can and should be tweaked consistently until one finds the perfect paradigm, but what are you going to leave on the cutting room floor? The obsessive back and forth replay of film finds itself in Brooks' on-again, off-again relationship, but also in his personality. The quick patter is all about continually contradicting himself for the audience's pleasure. I say pleasure, because it's funny - everything surrounding the terrible movie he's working on is especially amusing - but it's really what you might call cringe comedy. If it were a puppet show, you'd be yelling "nooo" at the main puppet all the way through. Like, it's not love, it's fear of failure and obsessive but pointless tinkering. Brooks also got his brother Bob Einstein to come in and steal a scene, so bonus.
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iawia
what an asshole.TomServo
Speaking as a fan of Woody Allen, this film seems like a giant middle finger to all those "neurotic guy chases down and eventually gets the girl of his dreams" movies. And it's equally hilarious, chilling, and heartbreaking. The ending crawl gave me goosebumps.jeremydw
I can not get over how hilarious this movie is. I've been in that same place but watching how much denial takes place, how hypocritical you can be and the silly things you get into in the process of trying to forget is hilarious. Fantastic movie.CSSCHNEIDER
This is a damn fine picture and that DVD cover is blasphemous.Siskoid
Albert Brooks paints his character as the world's worst boyfriend in Modern Romance, a study of jealousy as neurosis, but what's more interesting to me is that the character is a film editor. That really informs that neurosis, doesn't it? The relationship, like film, can and should be tweaked consistently until one finds the perfect paradigm, but what are you going to leave on the cutting room floor? The obsessive back and forth replay of film finds itself in Brooks' on-again, off-again relationship, but also in his personality. The quick patter is all about continually contradicting himself for the audience's pleasure. I say pleasure, because it's funny - everything surrounding the terrible movie he's working on is especially amusing - but it's really what you might call cringe comedy. If it were a puppet show, you'd be yelling "nooo" at the main puppet all the way through. Like, it's not love, it's fear of failure and obsessive but pointless tinkering. Brooks also got his brother Bob Einstein to come in and steal a scene, so bonus.JimEastwood71
This is the worst Albert Brooks film I've seen so far, I loved Lost in America and Defending Your Life but he is really annoying in this movie.ClassicLady
Never liked Albert Brooks. Never thought he was funny. This boring movie proves my point.