5 out of 5 people found this review helpful.
Woody Allen's best film.
Date of Review: Jun 21, 2000
A masterful hybrid of comedy and drama, this film is one of the few on record that can use verbal humor while simultaneously probing the nature of morality and faith. In addition, the very nature of success, both of the romantic and artistic variety, is given an extensive treatment. In vintage Woody fashion, he asks how, in a godless, indifferent universe, can man be expected to maintain a lasting moral structure? If the conscience of an individual is truly without guilt and the institutions of the state have failed to apprehend a transgressor, has he or she truly "gotten away with it?" What constitutes compromise and how well can (and should) we put up with it? Woody continues to equate awards and social praise with artistic prostitution and the truest sign of moral bankruptcy, and he refuses to soften the harsh reality that everything, including life, death, and love are mere instruments, tools in a worldwide marketplace where all is truly up for sale. But have I mentioned the acting? And the acerbic screenplay? And the rich social satire? Few films are able to present such bold ideas with charm and wit, yet this film challenges the notion that such things are impossible. A truly wonderful film, one of best ever made.
