Thursday, May 16, 2002
Thursday, May 16, 2002 |
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By Gautaman Bhaskaran
At a time when the world has been facing much violence and religious extremism, Hollywood Ending lifts one's spirits with its fantastic comic punches, which Mr. Allen is so renowned for, and fairytale finale.
Mr. Allen, who can well be a heady cocktail of Raj Kapoor, with his native innocence, and Charlie Chaplin, with his clownish mannerisms, gives us admittedly an implausible story, and even carries the concept of artistic licence beyond the stop line. But one cannot fail to notice the digs he has at dictatorial Hollywood and the often-befuddled French, and these along with his truly witty lines makes Hollywood Ending immensely enjoyable.
The film ends on a note of French high. Mr. Allen, who plays a 60-plus director, has cause for a champagne celebration when French movie critics praise his latest work after it is ripped apart by American journalists. What is more, the French invite him to Paris to make a film!
The story by itself may not be exactly novel; we have had such illustrious men as Francois Truffaut playing helmer (Day for Night). Mr. Allen, a two-time Oscar winner in Hollywood Ending, has fallen on bad times; he has to freeze it out in Canada doing deodorant commercials. His former wife, now in love with a millionaire financier, convinces him to let Mr. Allen make a movie, but just before principal photography begins, the director develops psychosomatic blindness. However, he manages to complete the shoot with the help of his ex-wife, an understanding agent and a Mandarin interpreter for his Chinese cinematographer.
Obviously, Mr. Allen must be extraordinarily happy with his picture; he even agreed to travel to Cannes for the first time though several of his films have been premiered here. And as one watched him walk up to the press conference venue here this afternoon, one was stuck by the resemblance between the real Mr. Allen and his screen persona.
His witty one-liners enlivened the meet much as they did Hollywood Ending, though it could have been tighter minus the sub-plot involving Mr. Allen's son in the story.
If his idea was to add a dash of sentimental stuff, he did succeed, though for a discerning viewer, it was a bit of a yawn in what was generally a lively show.
Cannes played the sentimental card all right. The festival had a short 20-minute movie by its director, Gilles Jacob, which traced the history of the event. It was not exactly flat but gripping enough to have been featured as the opening shot.
Mr. Allen's Hollywood Ending could be an indication of what is to follow in the festival. For far too long, one has seen depressing images from all over the globe. Some fun can reassure us that it is not always dark.
In fact, Shaji N. Karun, who could not get his Nishad into Cannes this year, told this correspondent in Chennai that the festival wanted to be a venue for celebration this year.
No serious fare, and Mr. Karun's picture did not fit this mood.
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