September

Woody Allen movies have always been intelligent, articulate, thought provoking and well directed. September is no exception as it constitutes one of the maestro's finest efforts. Full of drama and comedic elements the film is infused with poignancy and features commendable performances from Mia Farrow and the supporting casts. Highly recommended.The story revolves around the main character, aptly portrayed and acted by Mia Farrow - who demonstrates her skill as an actress in a commendable performance (for that matter all Woody Allen movies featuring Mia Farrow demonstrates her excellent skills as an actress), attempting to piece together her life following a nervous breakdown and a separation from her husband. Although she is still in love with her husband and harbours hopes of rekindling her relationship with him, he has his sight on another person, while her close friends continually arranges to manipulate her into developing a relationship with a fledging writer. This creates a love triangle of unrequited love between the writer and her and unrequited feelings between her and her husband.In the meantime, the writer has based a novel on her mother's past which she feels exploits her family's past, while her mother is flattered by the writer who feels that her mother's life is interesting enough to put on the printed page, and somewhere along the line the sordid truth about her mother murdering her father and, hence, causing her to suffer a nervous breakdown is revealed, amidst an attempt by her to sell the house to cover her medical expenses and so as to move to a new apartment amidst strong protest from her mother.All this makes for an engrossing and captivating dramatic essay captured impeccably by the maestro and must surely constitute one of his finest efforts.

I have only one quibble with this wonderful movie. Sam Waterston (Peter) did I thought a very poor job. It wasn't until his last moments in the movie that I realized he was on the level. I thought he was a phony, leading the two women on, out for a roll in the hay and didn't care what he had to say to get it. I was wrong. This spoiled the movie for me. But surmounting that, I loved every emotional moment in it. I thought it was beautiful. And I thought everyone but Waterston was wonderful. I really liked the love between Mia Farrow's parents, they fit, they were happy. And I think Dianne Wiest is some kind of a sorceress. How many people is she? I saw her in Allen's Bullets and was enchanted. And now this. A totally different type, different person. And brother can she act. I love this movie and I think the nasty Amazon staff review is dead wrong. Allen the wit truly has a gift for drama. The dialogue rang true and was literate (though not literary), I love Allen's taste in music, the characters were clearly defined and lifelike. One note. I've seen all Allen's movies except "Celebrity" which is next on my list. There is a common character in them. And that's the artist (in this case Mia Farrow and her photography) who feels like a failure and doesn't know what to do with his life. I thought it was a great flick.

`September', written and directed but not starring Woody Allen is, what he describes as a `chamber piece' done after the symphony of `Radio Days' with its huge cast and expansive settings. In most ways, the movie is a reprise of the style of his very first serious movie, `Interiors'. In many ways, `September' is far more successful than `Interiors'. I am an ardent Woody Allen fan, and `Interiors' even leaves me feeling a bit flat.Like `Interiors' and unlike some of his major seriocomic movies such as `Crimes and Misdemeanors', `September' has not a single joke and just the barest of embarrassingly humorous situation. Unlike `Interiors', you can identify several of Allen's favorite subjects; the most prominent one being the difference between perception and reality or, as he most commonly frames it, between fact and fiction.All action takes place in late August (`almost September') inside or on the porch of a rather large rural house in Vermont, set by a pond, and built by the principle character's father. The background information on the six marquee characters is spotty, with tidbits being parceled out slowly over the course of the short movie. The facts about the major players follows.Lane, played by Mia Farrow, is a damaged young photographer who has been out of work due to an undisclosed medical problem, probably psychiatric. She is depicted as the purported owner of the house, which she is planning to sell to pay off her medical expenses and get a new start in New York City.Peter, played by Sam Waterston (replacing Sam Shephard in a reshoot of the entire film), is a Madison Avenue advertising (copy writer or editor?) who is spending some time over a Summer vacation in Vermont to finish a first novel. As the movie opens, he is seen as Lane's boyfriend.Stephanie, played by Dianne Wiest, is a close friend to Lane. Stephanie is married with a family living in Philadelphia, but is taking time away from her husband to resolve some emotional differences. She is considering a trip to Paris as the movie opens.Howard, played by Denholm Elliott (replacing Charles Durning in the reshoot), is a local French teacher who is a good local friend to Lane and her family.Diane, played by Elaine Stritch (replacing Maureen O'Sullivan in the reshoot), is Lane's mother by Diane's first husband, who she left for a second man who abused Diane. The story as the movie opens establishes that Lane shot and killed Diane's second husband when Lane was but 14 years old. In what seems like a throwaway `Whose Afraid of Virginia Wolff' moment, it is revealed that Diane actually shot her husband and the story cooked up for the police and the trial was that the shooting was done by the underage Lane.Lloyd, played by Jack Warden, is Diane's current (third?) husband who happens to be a theoretical physicist. His speciality is not spelled out, but since he did do some work at Los Alamos, it can be assumed that he worked in quantum physics. This is a bit more than nominally interesting, as a theme running through the dialogue is the notion that, like events at the quantum level, everything is random.The heart of the story is how Lane, fragile at best at the opening of the movie, is brought even lower by two quick blows to her fragile psyche. The first is her mother's deciding to live in the Vermont house permenantly, countering Lane's plans to sell the house to financially recover. The second of the two blows is when Lane discovers that boyfriend Peter is romantically entangled with married friend Stephanie.The theme of fiction versus reality arises in the suggestion Diane makes to Peter that he writes Diane's memoirs. It is not entirely clear to what Diane owes her celebrity, but a couple touring the house with an interest in making an offer to purchase recognizes Diane's photograph as a person of celebrity with major contacts with Broadway and Las Vegas performers. The theme peaks with the allegation that it was Diane, not Lane who killed her second husband.Another theme is life after death, brought out by Diane's playing with an old Ouija board trying to contact past husbands, versus current husband's very scientific view of the randomness of nature.The one area where Allen outdoes practically all other films is that in place of a romantic triangle, Allen creates a romantic square with both Lane and Stephanie paired up with both Peter and Howard at different points in the movie.This is probably one of Allen's most literate and circumscribed movies. Even with the few characters and the very small set, there are still a lot of loose ends. The whole story could probably be told in a `New Yorker' short story, of which Allen wrote many early in his career.As the action is relatively easy to follow and the resolutions end on a fairly positive note, this is a much less depressing film than `Interiors'. It is also artistically superior, but not up to the level of his very best films.A `must see' for any Allen fan. People who just like his comedies can take a pass.

Great movie. Mia's acting so amazing--interesting, for instance, when seen in contrast to her role in "Broadway Danny Rose." Amazing to see her, in "September," both act and LOOK so mousy. This beautiful woman transformed by her own talent.And Dianne Wiest. What a marvel of fantastic acting, and what a great face--those squinchy eyes that end up, on her, being beautiful. And Elaine Stritch, whom I'd never seen before. And all the men, too. Wonderful.And the quiet of the movie, the space between things--very pleasurable.Perhaps my favorite part: the house itself.A real gem of a movie.

I think the people who really dislike this film don't know what they're talking about. Sure it's stagey, sure it's a bit claustrophobic but that's exactly what he was going for.An absolutely superb cast doing great work. Stritch as always is magnificent. I completely and totally loved this film.

D'aucuns feront référence à Bergman ou à Tchekhov en regardant ce huis-clos entre 6 personnages; mais c'est bien à un film de Woody ALLEN auquel nous assistons, le Woody ALLEN qui sait très bien être également un grand metteur en scène de théâtre.La réalisation est simple et efficace, les dialogues soignés et pertinents. Le film est infiniment touchant.Woody ALLEN étudie les comportements de ses 6 personnages et leurs relations faites d'amour et de haine refoulée (solitude même à deux, cruauté, passé douloureux et omniprésent). Le réalisateur installe un climat à la fois emprunt de malaise et de mélancolie. Cette chronique d'une fin d'été est intimiste, sensible et douloureusement teintée d'optimisme. La vie continue.L'interprétation est hors pair. Elaine STRICHT en mère à la fois possessive et lointaine, pétrie de remords sous une apparence de légèreté est parfaite. Dianne WIEST joue avec beaucoup de retenue et de subtilité une femme amoureuse qui ne peut sauter le pas car mariée et mère de famille (mais n'est-ce-pas pour elle une façon de se préserver?). Mia FARROW, Jack WARDEN, Sam WATERSTON, et Denholm ELLIOTT jouent leurs partitions avec virtuosité et sensibilité.Un grand Woody ALLEN.

Einer von Allens düsteren Filmen, aus denen er keinen Ausweg sieht. Die verschlungenen Pfade seines Gehirns, die so oft zu seinen skurrilen und absurden Szenen geführt haben, stricken hier eine Beziehungskiste, die bei allem Chaos psychologisch stimmig wirkt. Wie so oft geht es um die verheerende Wirkung des "American way of life" mit seinem bulligen Durchsetzungswillen ohne Rücksicht auf Verluste auf den Rücken anderer Menschen (Mutter Diane), seiner beherrschenden Vorstellung von einer dauerhaften Familie ohne Rücksicht auf ihren tatsächlichen Zustand und seiner christlich verseuchten Sexualmoral (Stephanie), die innerlich unfrei macht, Lebensfreude und -erfüllung verhindert und nichts als Elend, Selbstverurteilung und schlechte Gefühle übriglässt. Stephanie wiederum hat für die gänzlich niedergeschlagene und orientierungslose Freundin Lane nichts als wertlose Ratschläge übrig, sich abzulenken und mit Aktivismus das Trauma und die ungeheilten Wunden zuzudecken und zu verdrängen. Das führt leider nirgendwo hin, sondern konserviert das Leiden, aber Allen weiß es nicht besser und will die Welt düster sehen. Hier sieht man, dass auch seine teilweise exaltierten, extrem komischen bis sarkastischen Drehbücher nichts sind, als seine Art, sich von seiner dunklen Seite abzulenken. Traurig.

I am a fan of Woody Allen movies and I had never heard of this one and what a treat! It was absolutely wonderful, Elaine Stritch should have won an Oscar for this performance, great find!

Drame sombre et familiale que woody Allen fit pour démontrer, en son temps, qu'il savait traiter des scénarios moins comiques.Un des premiers du genre du maître. Mais à réserver pour les inconditionnels tout de même.