Will Woody Allen's 'Caf茅 Society' receive same acclaim as 'Midnight in Paris'?
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Molly Driscoll Staff writer
Director Woody Allen鈥檚 newest film, 鈥淐af茅 Society,鈥� comes to theaters on July 15. Will it receive anything close to the acclaim of his 2011 movie 鈥淢idnight in Paris,鈥� which is the best-reviewed of his recent work?聽
鈥淐af茅鈥� stars Jesse Eisenberg as a young New Yorker who travels to Los Angeles to work for his agent uncle (Steve Carell) and falls in love with his uncle鈥檚 assistant (Kristen Stewart). The film co-stars Corey Stoll, Ken Stott, and Jeannie Berlin.
Mr. Allen famously releases about a film a year and recent efforts include the 2015 movie 鈥淚rrational Man,鈥� the 2014 film 鈥淢agic in the Moonlight,鈥� and 2013鈥檚 鈥淏lue Jasmine,鈥� whose star, Cate Blanchett, won a Best Actress Oscar for her work.
Allen鈥檚 best-known film is most likely the 1977 film 鈥淎nnie Hall,鈥� which stars him and Diane Keaton and which regularly makes appearances on lists of the best movies of all time. The movie won the Best Picture Oscar as well as Ms. Keaton winning Best Actress, Allen winning Best Director, and Allen and his co-writer Marshall Brickman winning best original screenplay.聽
Recent films by the director like 鈥淚rrational Man鈥� and 鈥淢agic in the Moonlight鈥� were panned by critics. Allen鈥檚 most recent critical success was the 2011 movie 鈥淢idnight in Paris,鈥� which stars Owen Wilson and Marion Cotillard and centers on a man who discovers he can travel back in time to 1920s Paris. 鈥淢idnight鈥� was nominated for the Best Picture prize at the Oscars.聽
What made 鈥淧aris,鈥� which also stars Rachel McAdams, Tom Hiddleston, Michael Sheen, Kathy Bates, and Alison Pill, succeed?聽
During his time in the past, Owen Wilson鈥檚 character, Gil, encounters many luminaries of the time such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, and Ernest Hemingway. Monitor film critic Peter Rainer writes that 鈥渁fter a while, the passing parade of geniuses becomes in itself a source of amusement 鈥� the set pieces where Gil hangs out with legends are often pointedly funny, and sometimes touching.鈥澛�
And found Allen鈥檚 depiction of nostalgia interesting, writing that 鈥渢he perception of a diminished world unable to satisfy a hungering sensibility鈥� afflicts Gil. Mr. Allen鈥檚 treatment of this condition is gentle and wry.鈥澛�
Meanwhile, praised the writing in the film.
鈥淭he film has the concision and snappy pace of Allen鈥檚 best work,鈥� he wrote.
