Cafe Society (2016)

Romance, unrequited love, Hollywood, comedy, all this and more in Woody Allen’s latest flick.

Café Society

“In the 1930s, a Bronx native moves to Hollywood and falls in love with a young woman who is seeing a married man.” -IMDB

Cast

Jesse Eisenberg Bobby
Kristen Stewart Vonnie
Steve Carell Phil Stern
Blake Lively Veronica

Directed by

Woody Allen

Written by

Woody Allen

Other Info

Comedy, Drama, Romance
PG-13
Fri 05 Aug 2016 UTC
96min
IMDB Rating: 6.7

Allen does a pretty great job with this light romance set in 1930’s Hollywood. Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart play the central couple playing “push pull” as he falls in love with her and she is in love with a married man, played by Steve Carell.

I really enjoyed the sets, scenery, and authentic wardrobe. If nothing else, the film puts you in a trance with those things. The story and acting are not much different from what we’ve come to expect from Allen. Still, it’s all enjoyable and there are highs and lows that keep one titillated.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Fans of Woody Allen films will enjoy this as it is true to formula. There is a couple and tension is visited upon them. In this case it’s up to us to guess which of the lovers is more foolish. I was just glad to see Allen put something out in 2016. I have to admit, I’m an almost unconditional fan of his work. Notwithstanding, this film is empirically good as a light romance period piece and I recommend it!

8/10

Author: Damien Riley

Damien Riley is a singer-songwriter from the High Desert of Southern California, known for his original music, books, a blog, and the podcast "Riley on Film". He is currently seeking West Coast venues for live concerts and stand-up routines. View all posts by Damien Riley