Director: Woody Allen
The thing that has set apart Woody Allen from everyone else, in my mind at least, is his ability to take complex themes and ideas from filmmakers like Ingmar Bergman and Federico Fellini, and apply them in an American context that is not pretentious or dumbed down. This film is one of the great examples of this. Stardust Memories is one of Allen's most personal films, and is autobiographical in the way 8 1/2 was autobiographical for Fellini. Though at first it may seem like a parody of 8 1/2, it actually is more inspired by it and translates it through Allen's own personal behaviors and issues.
The movie is almost free-associative in structure so it's not the most plot-heavy film, but it's not a hinderance and actually helps in understanding Allen's character and his idiosyncratic personality. The movie is essentially an all-encompassing work about Allen as a filmmaker and Allen as a man, and all of that filtered through his never-ending and always failed search for happiness in an absurd world. It is a very honest, personal, and revealing film, as you would expect from Allen, but this one seems more directly associated with Allen the real man, instead of a character played by Allen. So far, this is one of my favorite Allen films, all because it's such an odd yet personal piece of work by and about a guy that is fascinating in how he embodies the pessimistic yet joyful outlook at life we all have.
Grade: A-
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