User reviews

Woody Allen often is an interesting and insightful directors, whose films regardless of how they come off overall look great, have great soundtracks and he often knows how to get strong performances out of actors, at his best his writing was a fine mix of the hilarious, the poignantly dramatic and the thought-provoking.

'Café Society' is not one of his best films. Allen's glory days were in the late 60s through to the early 90s, with the 70s and 80s (which saw masterpieces like 'Annie Hall', 'Crimes and Misdemeanours' and 'Manhattan' for example) being particularly good decades. From mid-90s onwards he became hit and miss, with the odd gem like 'Midnight in Paris' and 'Blue Jasmine' but generally his glory days are long gone.

As far as his films from the 2010s decade go, 'Midnight in Paris' and 'Blue Jasmine' are vastly superior but 'Café Society' does fare better than 'To Rome With Love' and 'You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger'. 'Café Society' is not a great film, but is not a poor one, generally Allen has done worse (almost all of them being in the last twenty years or so) but it really isn't one of his better films.

Its best asset is the magnificent cinematography, every shot takes the breath away and complements the also spot-on and very handsomely produced 30s period detail perfectly. The soundtrack also is an ideal fit, giving a real sense of period as well as being a wonderful soundtrack on its own. There are shades of prime-Allen writing, there are some very funny moments, some touching ones and it does evoke thought afterwards, Allen's themes done in an insightful way.

The story is simple but rarely dull, it is a long way from perfect as will be detailed later on in the review but it did maintain interest. It's nicely directed by Allen. Performances vary. Blake Lively is positively luminous and Steve Carrell shows that he is adept at comedy and drama in a role that requires both extremes. Was very pleasantly surprised by Kristen Stewart, she can not do much for me but this is proof that with good material she can be good, the role could easily have been hardly one at all but Stewart does make the role more interesting than he deserved to be.

Jesse Eisenberg didn't work for me, he just plays a younger Woody Allen alter ego and it just comes off as a bad impersonation without being either funny or charming, instead it's annoying and the neuroses are overdone. Corey Stoll also feels very out of place, didn't buy him for a minute as a mobster, the role didn't suit him in the first place and it didn't fit within the period.

On top of this, the script and story execution aren't perfect. Mostly the script is very enjoyable but some jokes, especially the bad-taste and insensitive poking fun at Jews, do fall flat. Allen's narration is irritating, overused and over-explanatory, more show and less tell please Allen, consequently giving 'Café Society' an overwritten feel. The story does suffer from too much crammed in and sketchily developed characters (making the central relationships not quite as convincing as they ought to have been), and while there was no problem with a more morose at the end the ending just felt too inconclusive and gave the sense that Allen was indecisive as to how to finish the film.

In conclusion, looks beautiful and has some enjoyable things but somewhat unsatisfying. 6/10 Bethany Cox

The movie "Café Society" is a romantic comedy-drama and it follows a young man who moves to Hollywood in the 1930s and falls in love with his uncle's assistant. Woody Allen has once again delivered an excellent plot with his signature ingredients: Jewish characters, the mob, family dynamics, infidelity, jazz music, and the glamorous underworld of Hollywood studios and New York bars.

The always-Italian Vittorio Storaro's stunning cinematography brings back the nostalgia of the 1930s. The movie's big surprise is two newcomers at the time: Jesse Eisenberg as Bobby and Kristen Stewart as Vonnie, who manage to convey all the chemistry of lovers in doubt.

The movie has its ups and downs, but it manages to keep the viewer engaged until the end. Allen skillfully avoids falling into the trap of predictable and clichéd endings that are common in other Hollywood movies.

I myself am a sucker for a movie that gives a take on old school Hollywood and Woody Allen did a beautiful job with Cafe Society.

The cinematography on this one did a great job of capturing the feel of 1930s California and New York city. I can't get over how beautiful this thing was shot. A knock out combination of lights setting and music to bring out the mood.

And the jazz numbers that lace this flick did just that for setting that beautiful tone

Jesse Eisenberg started off a little too much Woody Allen at first (one particular scene in the beginning that acts like a hilarious sketch routine, where Jesse's character Bobby buys a hooker). It did get some getting use to, before it became his own thing.

Corey Stoll's character Ben, a though Jew who becomes a night club owner, whole involvement in the film taste like Scorsese light, which only made it even that more interesting.

It's a good Woody Allen comedy,but They are all good to me. If you like one you like them all (but I'm more partial to the ones he does not star in, like this one), and it's super impressive he does one of these on annual basis and he's able keep the quality constant.

It'a funny film with laugh out loud moments, and very crafty narrative narrated by Allen himself. This movie is just another love letter with the city he loves (and a thoughtful P.S you're OK too California), and makes Woody feel like such a helpless romantic, but that's what makes the movie so good to watch.

http://cinemagardens.com/?p=55

Really nice pic of the thirties. Beautiful paintings but... something is missing the creepy family deserved more... They were funny but not important enough it seems

Set in the 1930s, a young Bronx native moves to Hollywood where he falls in love with the secretary of his powerful uncle, an agent to the stars. after returning to New York he is swept up in the vibrant world of high society nightclub life.

Café Society opened this year Cannes Film Festival and is the latest film directed by Woody Allen. It's a story that mixes various parts of the Allen back catalogue to varying degrees of success. A film that wants more than anything to entertain. In many ways Café Society could be said to restate almost all of the key ideas and themes of Woody Allen's films in one way or another: life, chance, fate, love and guilt.

It also comes from the movie providing the performances. Jesse Eisenberg is so seamlessly cast as the prototypical Allen protagonist that when the film shift from Allen's voice over to Bobby speaking it feels continuous. Bobby's broken heart has caused him to undergo a Bogartian growing up: from a gauche boy to a mature disillusioned man, trapped in the wrong marriage. Moreover, Kristen Stewart sad eyes, throaty delivery and slightly heartbreaking aura make her almost interesting, ad an easy chemistry between her and her third-time co-star Jesse Eisenberg and he fits perfectly into his role while she simply overflows the screen.

But if Café Society is Allen quoting Allen, sometimes literally, at least he's quoting his better bits. Surprise comes from the movie providing the honeyed cinematography by V. Storaro which uses silhouette, graphic compositions and glowing close ups in an often genuinely breathtaking manner. "Life is comedy, but it's one written by a sadistic comedy writer" says Bobby. The comedy writer Allen on display here is more wistful and nostalgic for the very concept of unfulfilled true love, for the heyday of the Hollywood star system, for a New-York of gangsters and back alley craps game and stolen kisses at dawn in Central Park. And all of that nostalgia is okay. Because we were getting pretty nostalgic for the good odd days of warm, witty, fond and funny Woody Allen too.

Make no mistake Café Society is still late-period Allen. Men are described in terms of their characters and complications, while women are still described in terms of their beauty and their effect on said men. When Blake Lively's character motherhood becomes the butt of an exchange between two men, about how women who become mothers devote way too much time to their children (and ultimately not enough to their husband); it's a sour note that reminds us that Bad Allen is always there, underneath.

Overall, this film is Woody Allen's most charming film since Midnight in Paris and maybe most beautiful to look at, maybe ever. It's a little pretty little reminder of what once was

I liked it, fun, adorable... I found the rhythm a little slow, the narration always helps, not to get lost in space time, but the story could captivate more, a little dragged, but cute, it lacked a little bit of chemistry, despite being a fan of the two... Jesse Eisenberg s2 Kristen...

There is a lot going against this movie. Jesse Eisenberg's character comes off as a complete asshole within 10 minutes of the film, thanks to a really terrible scene between him and a Jewish hooker. None of the humor in that scene landed, which just made the situation really sad and uncomfortable to watch, and then kind of difficult to root for Eisenberg at all after that. Steve Carell isn't bad by any means, but he seems incredibly miscast in a role like this (not to say that he can't act in roles that are more serious, but this Hollywood film executive didn't really suit him). Both of the Dorfman parents come off as really awkward on screen and thus kill any of the jokes that they're meant to deliver. The only actor that gives a notable performance in this movie is Corey Stoll as the brother, but it's not enough. Kristin Stewart was mostly fine, but occasionally started picking up some of her infamous Kristin Stewartisms throughout. Carell and Eisenberg become really close out of nowhere, both of the couples' relationships are sped up by Woody Allen's narration (which doesn't really add anything to this film), and this movie is only 90 minutes long, so I feel as if they could have definitely spent more time with all of these relationships, instead of just having Woody tell us what was happening. And on top of all of this, while this is a beautiful film to look at, there is nothing new in this movie. It's another Woody Allen movie with the same romances and love triangles centered around white people who like jazz with a pretty inconclusive and unsatisfying ending.

Woody Allen's latest, which opened yesterday in Paris and at the Cannes Festival, is a gentle and thoughtful examination of love. Jesse Eisenberg, best known for his portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network, plays Bobby, a young New Yorker who heads out to Hollywood in search of an exciting future. He falls for Vonnie (Kristin Stewart of Twilight fame), the secretary of his Uncle Phil (Steve Carell), a successful producer, and is soon confronted with the fact that she has a mysterious lover. The resulting confusion is worthy of Allen's mentor, Anton Chekhov. In an interview in the French magazine l'Obs, Allen remembers his own experience in Hollywood, talking to a producer who cut him off to take a call from Fred Astaire. We soon meet all of the rest of Bobby's family, including a gangster brother and a sister who is married to an intellectual, who offers such wisdom as the quotation, "Live every day like it's your last and some day you'll be right." With brilliant cinematography by Vittorio Storaro and great performances from Eisenberg, Carell and Stewart, the film is one of Allen's most enjoyable in years. The poster features a stylized profile of a woman with a teardrop - love always includes an element of sadness, even as it brings laughter and self-realization. A French review of the Cannes opening compares Allen to Ernst Lubitsch, master of urbane comedies of manners in the 1930's.

Set in the 1930s, Cafe Society is another insight at the lives of white people in America. A man living in New York (somehow) has to move to Los Angeles to pursue job opportunities from his uncle. There, he met a stunning young woman who captivated him. Emotions starts to ensue when he learns that the woman will change the course of his life forever.

2000s Woody Allen films are definitely a hit or a miss, and this movie falls just right in the middle. The plot was very much generic, and there are severe lack of likable characters. Most of the characters did some questionable things and done nothing to prove themselves that they are redeemable by the end of the movie. Several talents were tragically wasted too, like Blake Lively and Steve Carrell.

There are aspects in the movie stood out better than the rest, such as tonal consistency, the 1930s aesthetic, and the jazz-dominated scoring. The narration by the director himself may add nothing of importance to the narrative, but it helps reinforcing the classic style the movie intends to create.

You may love this movie to death or hate it. For me it just sits right there: forgettable plot, but mesmerizing visuals.

This movie is beautiful. The shots are very well placed. The lighting and colour palettes were extremely appealing. The dialogue was quirky but fun to listen to. The acting is good, direction is good. However, most films with this topic base leave you either incredibly thoughtful, happy or sad. Maybe if you are experiencing similar things as the characters then you'll get more from this film. However, it mostly left me feeling incredibly empty and I'll possibly forget about it.

It's a Sad Thing, Growing Old, even when it is Relatively Painless. Our Heroes, or People We Greatly Admire Grow Old in a Spotlight. Fat Elvis, Mickey Mantle bringing His Lifetime Batting Average Below 300 because He Played so Ineffectually a couple of Seasons too long, just to Illustrate.

Woody Allen hasn't quite reached the Embarrassing Stage of Old Age, but the Signs are Signaling. Example, His usually Snappy, but Droll Narration is Audibly Atrophied. He just Sounds Old and Power Drained.

Also, the Recycling of Plot and People from Previous Works are Intruding Frequently in His Late Year Mediocrities. Allen may not be Obese like Elvis, and His Batting Average is Still Better than His Peers, but Life Expectancies Expect their Due. Here's Hope that Woody has the Wit and Inclination to Know when to give Us His Swan Song and Retire with Dignified Reluctance.

Woody Allen probably has at least One or Two Tricks remaining to work His Magic and Entertain His Legion of Admirers and Confound His Many Critics. Even Mickey Mantle Hit a Few Home Runs in those Subpar Seasons just before Hanging Up His Spikes.

Swing for the Fences Woody so We can Watch that Home Run Trot once more.

This isn't a Bad Film, its just too Mediocre for a Genius Superstar.

All movies with Kirsten Stewart are worth seeing. Even this one. Not Allen's best. The set decoration is outstanding.

The acting is how can be expected in an WA movie. He allows his actors do what they do best. Act. And in a WA movie lovers never live long and happy for the rest of their lives. Could have done with al little more ' pepper'.

Director/writer Woody Allen's latest film can be seen as one of his most personal films to date. Dialed to the bright, nostalgic feel of Radio Days (1987), Cafe Society nevertheless reels from an undercurrent of existential authenticity a la Husbands and Wives (1992) poetically and often ruefully addressing the feeling of having lost the road not taken.

Our protagonist is young up-and-comer Bobby Dorfman (Eisenberg), a New Yorker, whose dreams of making it in Hollywood rests uneasily over some very scrawny shoulders. At first he's aided by his Uncle Phil (Carell), an agent and powerhouse among the coastal elite. He sets him up as an assistant and script-reader. Bobby's family dutifully keeps tabs on him back in New York as he climbs the slippery ladder of Hollywood's well-to-do, finding friends in Steve (Schneider) and Rad Taylor (Posey) who have a hand in controlling the talent pipeline from coast to coast. His closest friend and eventual paramour however is Vonnie (Stewart) a comparatively down to earth secretary who would rather bask in the glow of the warm sun then in glitzy opulence. He idolizes her, pines for her despite her insistence that she has a boyfriend; an older man as we later find out.

Woody Allen himself provides the narration for this gentle nostalgia tour through Golden Age Hollywood. Much like his voice, the film feels warm, familiar if sadly slow and blunted. Lacking the consistently snappy tone of earlier works, Cafe Society leans a little too heavily on the love triangle, which granted, captures some excellent drama but is singed from overcooking. When we are rewarded with the usual delights of Allen's repertoire, it all comes out banal, like a list of axioms repeated one too many times.

Yet despite lacking the verbal excitement of Allen's prized filmography, Cafe Society more than delivers in gorgeous cinematography, characterization and themes which are glamorously brought to life by a talented cast. Steve Carell's natural amiability allows us to more easily welter in Phil's more unsavory character decisions which includes having his nephew wait in the waiting room of his office for weeks. He's an agent but he lacks the boorishness of Ari Gold. He believes in what he's selling, and given the way he name- drops by the poolside and the fondness industry insiders seem to have for him, you can tell he's good at what he does. Jesse Eisenberg brings the same frazzled nudnik buoyancy he previously brought to Allen's To Rome with Love (2012). It's easy to see why Eisenberg is a repeated player, the man brings all the trappings of Woody's old characters only with a slightly stronger edge.

If there's one standout however it would have to be Kristen Stewart who resists being the flavorless object of affection. Goodness knows it could have been easy given the time period of the film (not to mention her previous role in the Twilight Series (2008-2012)), but her strident autonomy keeps us invested. She's a piece of Citrine amid fool's gold, a girl next door above the ostentatiousness of industry fugazi. A girl to bring home to mamma.

Much of Bobby's character develops between the intoxicating glamour of Hollywood and the provocative corruptibility of New York City. The dichotomy has a night and day quality that is mirrored by the earthy Vonnie and the glittering Veronica (Lively) who appears later in the film. Large swaths of the movie take place in the Big Apple, much of which concentrates on the foibles of Bobby's sister (Lennick), brother-in-law (Kunken) and mobster brother (Stoll). Far from being unnecessary asides, these stories aptly meld into the film's large themes: love, respect and regret.

With the denseness of a novel and the light touch of Allen's finest, a question the emerges; what is the director trying to tell us through this story? Bobby's balance between the two cities he calls home, mimics Woody Allen's long, illustrious trajectory as a member of the New York intelligentsia and a Hollywood staple. Perhaps he's trying to tell us our problems may seem significant to us and every choice we make means another choice has been deferred, yet in the grand scheme of things, life is ultimately a comedy.

Cafe Society is a delightful piece of cinema that once again showcases Woody Allen's magic as a storyteller of tales that aims to please. As the credits roll, there is then a sense of whimsical longing for a piece of the Old Hollywood & Vintage New York depicted masterfully in this 2016 gem. From the stunning cinematography, the light hearted narration, the classical music that sets the mood and the mouth watering set pieces, Allen's choice of craft transports its audience & cements an enjoyable experience. The leads of Jesse Eisenberg, Steve Carrell & Kristen Stewart, adds a myriad of charm with their fantastic portrayals. And the wildly amusing & a tad inappropriate love story that entangles them, is something deeply yearned for & savored for its sweet bitterness.

Cafe Society then, is truly another magnificent effort from the master of nostalgic and pleasurable narratives. There is then no deep character studies nor thought provoking complexities here, only unassuming romantic exploits told with rich & beautiful backdrops that impresses.

This film ranks among the worst in Woody Allen's filmography. There are lots of things wrong with it. Casting, usually a strong-point in his films, is way off the mark. Jesse Eisenberg is the latest in a string of stand-ins for the Woody Allen part and he's as bad as Jason Biggs in "Anything Else." Besides weak acting skills he lacks the charisma to carry a film. After this second go-round with Allen (he appeared in "To Rome, With Love") let's hope he doesn't become an Allen regular. Kristen Stewart fares somewhat better, though she lacks the ditzy quality that Louise Lasser/Diane Keaton/Mia Farrow conveyed so well. Steve Carell overplays his part. It doesn't help that the characters are all so unlikeable. Allen's depiction of Jews here is not only unflattering but downright offensive. The effort to make this a seriocomic morality tale doesn't work. The jokes fall flat and the message is muddled. The whole thing left a sour taste.

In my humble opinion most Woody Allen movies have a feel but some you can feel more than others and I do believe this is one of those stronger ones. Im sure it has something to do with the beautiful cinematography, scenery and costumes but also the love story was just so believable and Jessie Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart were just so genuine. Funny I don't normally even like those two actors but put them in a Woody Allen movie and it's a whole new performance. Lastly, I couldnt help but notice that most reviews on here are really good or really bad and that's most likely because you either get his movies or you don't. And I really got this one.

While Cafe Society is certainly not in the category of Woody Allen classics, it is, none the less, an entertaining movie. It pretty much adheres to Allen's standard formula which is in of itself not such a bad idea. A lot of reviewers claim (rightly so) that it doesn't live up to Woody's best, so I tried to view this movie as if it were directed by someone other than Allen. Using that as my guideline, it seems as though this may have been a movie made by someone who is a big Allen fan and who was trying in some way to pay homage to Allen. That being said, the movie would definitely qualify as a success. So if you like Woody Allen movies, you may not be blown away, but, I believe you will be pleasantly surpised.

As a longtime fan of Woody Allen's films I find the difficult situation of writing about an Allen film that was sub-par by Allen's standards. "Café Society" is nothing more than a parade of celebrity big name stars dressing up in 1930's wardrobe, then parading in front of the camera. Delivering boring, dour and staid lines. This was a disconnected film that had no real strong story line. It is jumble of inept plots that are supposed to connect but just don't work here. One of Allen's worse screenplay's.

The weakest link in this film is Jesse Eisenberg as the lead character Bobby. A young man who travels to Hollywood in the 1930's to find himself and his future. Eisenberg has had much success as a teen film star and recently as Lex Luthor in "Batman vs Superman," he did not do a believable job with his portrayal of Luthor. Nor does he do a good job portraying Bobby. As Bobby he just meanders through scene after scene. Yet all I could see is the teen star Jesse. He didn't transform well into a 1930's young man. In fact the entire film seem outdated as the time line. This film would have been much better had it been placed in the present time. His costar and love interest Kristen Stewart as Vonnie, fared even worse. Her character was a weak link that just did not match well with Bobby. Eisenberg and Stewart had appeared together in "American Ultra" with Eisenberg as a stoner/hit-man and Stewart as his love interest. They worked well together in that action/comedy format. Yet in "Café Society" there is no real chemistry between Bobby and Vonnie in this film.

Bobby's uncle and super talent agent Phil Stern played by Steve Carell plays his character way too serious and is wasted in this film. He constantly drops big name stars of the 1930's. Yet we never see any of them on the screen in cameos played by actors in this film. That would have given this film some credibility. The character Ben Dorfman played by Corey Stoll is added to put some action humor in the film as a gangster thug of the 1930's but it just didn't add anything or help here.

The love interest between Bobby and Vonnie is played out similar to Alvy Singer and Annie Hall played by Woody Allen and Diane Keaton in the 1977 Academy Award winning film "Annie Hall". In that film Hall/Keaton wanted a career and life in L.A. while Alvy/Allen was a true New Yorker. Same scenario pops up here Vonnie is in Hollywood, while Bobby become a night club manager in New York. While the 1930's costumes and sets are impressive. It all just comes across like an elaborate 1930's costume party. I liked Allen's film "Radio Days" a lot better. It had much more heart, soul and humor. In that film Allen took us back to his early days as a kid during the 1940's. It worked great because Allen told us his story and it was a very interesting story. Yet the 1930' "Cafe Society" is not interesting at all and seems quite phony. The only bright spot in this entire film is the brief appearance by the hot sexy lovely Blake Lively as Veronica, she livens up this dull film, if only for a very brief time.