Cafe Society

Cafe Society is a love letter from Woody Allen to old Hollywood. We've been treated this year with the Coen Brother's Hail! Caesar which also focused on a similar era of cinema and this is as much of a delight. Funny, heartbreaking and nostalgic all in one, this is vintage Woody.

Woody's always had muses and inspiration and it looks like the two leads here could be his next staples: Jesse Eisenberg plays a classic Allen character and bears such a striking similarity to the Director in his mannerisms, awkwardness and voice. He's a marvel and sells the story throughout. The star of the show, though, is Kristen Stewart. In vintage Woody terms she's at once desirable, unobtainable, likeable and hateable. It's a great performance.

The story is a typical romantic dramedy and dips and dives through the era and the false glamour of Hollywood with aplomb. It drags slightly in the third quarter but Woody brings everything together for a brilliantly hopeful conclusion perfectly ending at the 'I want to know what happens next' mark.

Steve Carell has always been underrated as a dramatic performer and is also brilliant here as Eisenberg's character's Uncle, a Hollywood power agent who throws lavish celebrity parties.

Woody doesn't star but does narrate proceedings. His musings and interruptions can be irksome but you have to forgive the man, if you're going to see a Woody Allen film at the cinema you know to expect this.

The soundtrack of brushed jazz wonderfully suits the mood but its Woody's use of Vittorio Storaro as cinematographer which is the film's masterstroke. The framing throughout is absolutely luscious and detailed; so much care has been placed on every shot. Most scenes see two characters engaged in conversation but, each time, Storaro and Allen will place them in front of a picture-perfect background or symmetrically in the middle of shot. He also stalks low through scenes and rooms and keeps you right in the thick of it throughout. There are some laugh-out-loud moments and brilliant dramatic touches as well.

It's maybe not as meaty as some other Woody movies or maybe not quite as romantic or not quite as funny but it's a perfect medium; a great entry point to a very large oeuvre or just a perfect date movie featuring two of Hollywood's stars of the moment. A delight.

4 stars ****