Customer Reviews

Bullets Over Broadway

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Not deep, but very, very funny. Wonderfully written and splendidly acted, especially by Diane Wiest in a wild, very different role. John Cusack does his usual extremely
solid work as the straight man holding it all together

Amazing 1930s production design by Santo Loquasto.

The film has a nice dark edge to off set its wacky, farcical tone. The very end is a bit sappy, but it also leaves the film with an interesting moral complexity. Not quite
great Woody Allen, but extremely good Woody Allen -- which means great by most filmmaking standards.

And funny. Great casting, great script, funny dialogue and good directing. The wonderful thing about this whole flick -- Woody Allen decided NOT to be in it. One of his better decisions he's made in years. (Thanks for giving us a break and breather from your repeatible and stale roles Woody!) Don't miss this little-known gem.

this movie was enjoyable, but not the best woody allen i've seen.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe no poll has ever been made about which one is most deemed as Woody Allen's masterpiece by far. I once thought that we seemingly tend to pick whichever we can best relate to, but recently when I had a chance to sit down and watch five of his movies all over again -- "Annie Hall", "Manhattan", "Hannah and her sisters", "Bullets over Broadway", "Mighty Aphrodite" -- I realized that any of us could easily relate to at least something in each of those great films. That would define Allen's genius when it comes to directing (romantic or un-romantic?) comedies. When it comes to casting, though, "Bullets over Broadway" must be the best of all, featuring the finest performance of every actor. Not only the credit must go to those in lead roles (John Cusack -- who played Woody Allen's would-be character, Dianne Wiest, Jack Warden, Jennifer Tilly), but the supporting cast was superb as well (with Tracy Ullman as Eden, Chazz Palmenterri as Cheech, Rob Reiner as Flender, Mary-Louise Parker as Ellen, and Stacey Nelkin -- Allen's ex-girldfriend -- as Rita). This film was perfect in each of its scenes, but if I had to pick my favorite one, it would be the final dialogue between Cusack, Parker, Reiner and Nelkin. I don't remember having heard in any other comedy a dialogue that's so hilarious and so thought-provoking at the same time.

Not only one of Woody Allen's best films but one of the best comedies of all time.

My top three favorite Woody Allen films will always stay the same (3- "Sleeper", 2- "Annie Hall", and one- can you guess it? thatt's right "Bullets Over Broadway." This film is irresistable to so many groups. People who love the roaring twenties, People who take an avid interest in theatre, People who love gangster pictures and crime, and ofcourse Allen films.
John Cusack plays the Woody charector in this satire. He is a cafe playwrite, who fails to turn up grasping story lines, and instead he produces rather heavy dramas. So it is no surprise that his newest play does not appeal to his producer, but on a total chance, the playwrite finds an investor in gangster form. There's one nitch however. The playwrite must give a crucial role to the gangster's girlfriend, who's talent is substantialbly minimul. And as the play is finnaly up in rolling, more problems surface. Such as the playwrite's affair witht the vain prima donna, a leading actor with a terrible eating habbit, a supporting actress' yippy chiwawa, and many more.
Classic in Allen pics, Bullets Over Broadway shines as one of the best.
The performances are brilliant. Wiest turns up a hillarious and classic prima donna role, as Jennifer Tilly acts up a comic storm as the missed casted psychiatrist.
Filled with laughs and wonderful writing, "Broadway" is one not to miss.

I'm usually pretty hit-and-miss with Woody Allen films, and in this case, it was a definite hit. The film explores the behind the scenes goings-on of a 1930's Broadway show being put into production. John Cusack stars as the self-important young writer/director who finds his play bankrolled by a Mafia kingpin, which necessitates having the kingpin's mistress in the play. Chazz Palmenterri plays the mistress' bodyguard, a man who has a knack for re-writing scenes. The actors in the play are Dianne Wiest, Jim Broadbent, Tracy Ullman, and Jennifer Tilly. All the performers in the movie are exceptional, with special praise to Wiest and Tilly. The dialogue is typically funny for an Allen film, and the plot moves along well. The behind the scenes aspect of the film works very well, and Allen does an amazing job (along with the production team) of re-creating a 1930's atmosphere. The film speaks about the need for art to be accessible to everyone, and not simply a self-indulgent activity that strokes one's ego. This is certainly one of Allen's most accessible films.

It's always all or nothing with Woody Alan. Either the film is brilliant, hilarious and wonderful (as this is) or tedious and flat (Celebrity or that Godawful Everyone Says I Love You). This film flat out makes me laugh hysterically. If you are a theatre buff--add even ten more enjoyment points!

It has a great sense of time and place---thirties Broadway that is just wonderful. What a thrill to see NYC circa 1933
with a great thirites soundtrack including Toot Toot Tootsie.

From Diane Wiest's over the top self absorbed Talullah Bankhead type actress ( Academy award winning performance) to Jennifer Tilly's hysterical mob girl to James Broadbent's nervous actor who just can't stop eating to Chaz Palmentiri's sensitive gangster (also an Academy Award)...this is a hoot and a half! Just can't stop laughing from this film. When I'm down, I watch it and it's a pick me up.

Lots of great surprises--Harvey Fierstein, Rob Reiner,
and other classic character actors in minor roles. This is one of Woody's best! Some of the funniest lines to ever come off an hors dourve tray. See this one. The plot is very surprising and outrageous and lovers of black comedy will
smile.

As for some of Woody's other good ones, see Radio Days or Mighty Aphrodite, Broadway Danny Rose or Hannah and Her Sisters. Avoid at all costs Deconstructing Harry and Sweet and Lowdown and the aforementioned Celebrity and Everyone Says I love you.

If you have a dark sense of humor, Bullets Over Broadway is for you. Chazz Palminteri is quite amusing as a mobster who discovers his own playwrighting talents. John Cusack expands his role to playing a neurotic Woody Allen type who just wants to get everyone on the same page. Jennifer Tilley is quite amusing in an offbeat way. Good for most audiences.

I'll keep this short and non-pretentious.

I find this film very enjoyable. Although Woody Allen isn't in this film, blatent aspects of his own neurotic behavior leak through John Cusak, and very well. The acting is superb. Jennifer Tilly's Olive must, must, must be an homage to Jeane Hagen's Lina Lamont in "Singin' in the Rain." In general, the characters are all hysterical, although the plot is very predictable, especially anything mob-related.

As far as the DVD goes, where're all the features that DVDs are loved for most? I looked at the back of the damn thing, at the bright blue "Special Features" box, and sighed as I read "Widescreen." Wow. Isn't that expected anyway? It might as well have read, "In Color."

Ah, I'm too harsh. I did enjoy this movie on DVD, but I was definitely let down by the lack of features. Oh, and the sound is really ..., too. 2-Channel! This must be the future!

I'm outta here.