Stardust Memories (1980)

I thought Stardust Memories was a really good flick, even by Woody Allen standards. I've heard that it's far too self-indulgent and angry in tone, but I didn't think so. It's obviously got a heavy element of autobiography, but it's added in a very playful way, typical of Woody's work.

In a lot of ways, it reminded me a lot of Fellini's 8 1/2. Obviously, there's the filmmaker-parodying-himself-making-a-film element, but many other references too. Woody's character drifts from one woman of another, much like Guido in 8 1/2, there's a couple of scenes on the beach, there's a metal structure that resembles the huge prop built in 8 1/2, and of course, the huge crowds of people hounding the director.

The movie does a great job of blending fantasy, reality, films and dreams. The character Woody plays is a famous director who used to do funnier films, so it's a good excuse to put silly little bits into the film, as he's attending a festival of his own films. At some points, something strange happens and you wait to see if it's real or if it happened solely in someone's imagination, or the movie being filmed in Stardust Memories. It's not done in a confusing way, but in a very light, playful way that makes it enjoyable and interesting.

It's not his funniest, nor his most poignant or intelligent, but it's definitely another very good Woody Allen flick.