The Worst Film Ever

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

Deconstructing Harry really made me want to sit down with the 1997 version of Woody Allen and ask him if there was anything he wanted to get off his chest. I've never seen a more seemingly angry and hateful Woody Allen than I have through that film. I'm not sure, as I choose to never speculate, how much of Deconstructing Harry was autobiographical. How much of the artist who suffered from a serious bout of writer's block who placed events and people of his own life under thin veils in his novels left with no one but his work to help him re-evaluate his own life was Woody Allen? I shudder to flesh any air of Woody Allen identity in his 1997 film, for my own sake, if nothing else given how seemingly angry and hateful the film turned out to be.Harry Block (Woody Allen) a writer, draws much inspiration from his own life. Growing up atheist in a Jewish home, Harry has used his parents and family as inspiration for his novels and short stories. Harry has also written about his analyst, his ex-wives and pretty much any event that has ever happened to him. His writing has made a comfortable life for him and led to an honor he is about to receive for his work. Dealing with a heavy bout of writer's block, Harry is also tasked with facing many of those he has written about who are angry to have been used solely to further his career. Harry didn't take many pains to hide those people or events from his life that he wrote about, because of this transparency, it is known the world over who he is referring to in each of his stories. The cold response Harry has received from the ones who should be most proud of him as he is being honored has caused him to re- evaluate his life and face some difficult truths. Through therapy, Harry realizes that he has self-sabotaged his relationships resulting in all three of his marriages ending in divorce. On a rogue drive with the son he rarely gets to see, Harry looks back at his life and the characters in his stories--each one at a different stage in his own life in an attempt to determine what he can do to turn his life around.I've always appreciated the way in which Woody Allen writes women, even to the degree of having multiple female protagonists in his films. Deconstructing Harry, however, illustrates women as shrill archetypes that only exist to bring about the downfall of any men in their lives and be a thorough annoyance along the way. Even aside from the illustration of women in Deconstructing Harry, the men are just as stereotypical. The film treats people in general with an air of disgust and aggression not typical for a Woody Allen film. Even in a film of Woody's that I dislike, I can appreciate the artistic elements of it. The literal out of focus character as Harry attempted to evaluate his life was a brilliant touch and one that softened an otherwise dismal outing.

I have been looking forward to seeing this film for quite a while, and when I finally had a chance I was pretty quick to take it up. As I started it, I regretted it immediately, I was bored and annoyed. Towards the end, it began to grow on me, but a lot just didn't do it for me.What I liked: I absolutely love the concept and the story. I have not seen any like it. What I like most is that while there is an actual plot and external events, it's more of a character study. They take an unlikable character and give him plenty of depth and sympathy to make up for his brash decisions and opinions. I love Woody Allen as a writer. I also liked the short stories; how they were narrated, the actual relevance they had to Harry's problems and friends, and how they were somewhat diverse. It wasn't just about the message. I both liked and disliked the scenes where they would cut to the same shot. It is very reminiscent of Jean- Loc Goddard's Breathless, which at times gave it a very relaxed, more realistic feel, considering that you could interpret that there were probably moments of silence between conversation, like something that happens in real conversation. However, when you cut in mid-sentence or make too many quick cuts, it's distracting and annoying to try and listen.What I hated: While I love that film is about Harry Block, I hated him. His guts, his obsession with sex, and the fact that he is so damn awkward. I hate Woody Allen as an actor. I appreciate when people stutter, pause, mix up words, or ramble in movies because that's what people do in real life. However, Woody Allen takes it and makes it absolutely obnoxious. His arms flail around, he never makes eye contact (or keeps his eyes on the road while driving).Overall, the word I would use to describe this movie is 'inconsistent,' with some scene being very funny and entertaining, while others made me want to scratch my DVD apart.

Harry Block (Woody Allen) is a neurotic, jittery, pill-popping author, condemned by those who known him well, and hailed by those who don't know him at all. Block has written lengthy, verbose novels that are thinly-disguised to hide the real relationships in his life, and for that reason, he has successfully alienated himself from all of his formers friends and family members. He often spends his days lonely, drinking, and hanging out with prostitutes, who he pays ample amounts of money to in order to get a quick-fix.The current silver-lining in Block's sad, dreary existence is that he will soon be recognized in a forthcoming ceremony by the university that kicked him out. He desperately wants company when he embarks on this trip, but because his novels have made it impossible for people to sympathize or like him on any level, he is left with quite a challenge. Even his ex-wife forbids him to spend the day with his young son so he can see his father may not be such a loser after all.Woody Allen's Deconstructing Harry is many things, but one of the most notable is it exists as an ode to the films of acclaimed Swedish director Ingmar Bergman. The film's plot alone mirrors that of Wild Strawberries, one of the man's most loved, which centered on a man and his pregnant daughter-in-law driving through the country so he could be granted with an award. The film made the tricky but probable analysis that a man can be loved by those who don't know him and simultaneously be hated by those who know him all too well. It was a tremendous achievement in foreign cinema and, in my opinion based on what I've seen thus far, Bergman's best film.Furthermore, this is one of Allen's darkest efforts to date. Not only is the film's protagonist almost remorseless in his treatment of others, but the way certain scenes are written and executed truly question how we're exactly supposed to respond. Take for example the scene when Block's panic attacks get the best of him and he needs to be consoled by a hooker he invited over the night before. While the relationship is nice - and without a doubt deeper than most prostitute/client relationships - it definitely shows just how depressing and almost broken Block's life is to the point where he needs to be reassured and comforted by a prostitute.The nihilism and cynicism of Allen's work shockingly doesn't become the detraction in the film, whereas the choppy narrative does and questionable ending does. The narrative, which continues to bounce between the current events in Block's life and the past events/relationships he held, is a bit too erratic and jumbled, quickly switching back and forth between the past and present with only a moderate amount of continuity. Not to mention the ending feels a bit put-on and unbelievable considering all that Block has put up with during the course of the film.Returning to the thought that the film is one giant homage to the works of Bergman, consider Allen's comically potent portrayal of the Devil here. Bergman made the Devil a living, breathing character in his film The Seventh Seal and made the film very existential and thought-provoking. Allen pays close attention-to-detail in terms of character relations and how one person after another is presented here. He animates the Devil character (played by Billy Crystal) terrifically here, using the right amount of black humor and comic-timing.Deconstructing Harry is a cynical delight of a film making exceptional use of Allen's writing/directing talents, but also the immensity and diversity of the cast at hand. Each star, whether it be Kirstie Alley, Julia Louise-Dreyfus, Tobey Maguire, Stanley Tucci, Billy Crystal, or Robin Williams, gets their own time to shine in the picture and all of them feel welcome and completely in-place in Allen's darkly funny world. It's once again apparent that Allen can make deeply personal, intriguing pictures, yet still be so foreign to his audience as a whole.Starring: Woody Allen, Caroline Aaron, Kirstie Alley, Bob Balaban, Richard Benjamin, Eric Bogosian, Billy Crystal, Judy Davis, Hazelle Goodman, Mariel Hemingway, Amy Irving, Julie Kavner, Eric Lloyd, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tobey Maguire, Demi Moore, Elisabeth Shue, Stanley Tucci, and Robin Williams. Directed by: Woody Allen.

Harry Block is a successful writer who gets inspiration from people he knows.Everybody doesn't like that.And he has his flaws, like pills and whores.Now his old university is honoring him.Harry wants to take his son Hilly to the ceremony, but his ex-wife Joan says no.But Harry takes him there anyway, as he does take a prostitute named Cookie and a friend called Richard.What a day to remember that will be! Deconstructing Harry is a Woody Allen film from 1997.Woody Allen gives a really great performance in this movie.Luckily he cast himself.No complaints about the rest of the cast either.Kirstie Alley plays the part of Joan, Harry's ex-wife.Billy Crystal, who gets to do next year's Oscars again, plays Larry/The Devil.Lucy Davis is Lucy.Bob Balaban plays Richard.Elisabeth Shue plays Fay.Paul Giamatti is Prof. Abbott.Philip Bosco is Prof. Clark.Mariel Hemingway, who was also in Allen's Manhattan, plays Beth Kramer.Hazelle Goodman is Cookie.Amy Irving is Jane.Eric Lloyd plays Hilly.Now 90-year old Gene Saks plays Harry's Father.Tony Sirico is Policeman at Jail.Then there are some characters that are of Harry's creation.Richard Benjamin plays Ken.Julia Louis-Dreyfus is Leslie.Tobey Maguire plays Harvey Stern.Jennifer Garner is Woman in Elevator.Stanley Tucci is Paul Epstein.Demi Moore plays Helen.Robin Williams is Mel.Julie Kavner is Grace.This is a very fine Woody Allen movie of the 90's.It's often funny.You find yourself most amused, when they're driving with the hooker and doing some car singing.Also out of focus Robin Williams is hilarious.I get seasick just by looking at him.