Since 1982 Wood Allen has released at least one movie a year. He’s had ups and downs throughout each decade. Here’s a breakdown of the Best and Worst Movies of the last 10 years.
The Worst
5. Scoop (2006) – It’s not that this is bad, it’s just that it’s not memorable and miscast. It was nice to see Allen in a rare later acting role, and as a likable character at that. However, Scarlett Johansson as the “female Woody Allen” was not believable for a second.
4. Magic in the Moonlight (2014) – Also, not a bad movie. Colin Firth is nice change of pace from the usual nebbish leads. But the entire movie hinges on a suspense-like twist, and the rest of the movie is basically a romantic comedy.
3. To Rome With Love (2012) – Jesse Eisenberg does well in the usual Woody role, but he maybe grows up to be Alec Baldwin? The three separate sub-plots the movie follows are entertaining separately, but they don’t mesh well into one movie.
2. You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010) – This movie was so inconsequential I’ve forgotten pretty much everything about it. The girl from Slumdog Millionaire was in it? And maybe Anthony Hopkins?
1. Whatever Works (2009) – Allen has often been criticized for having unsympathetic main characters. They can be misogynistic, hypocritical, cruel narcissists. Sometimes they are old-fashioned to hide prejudices, and are hypochondriacs as an extension of their selfishness. They both infantilize and sexualize much younger women. Larry David’s Boris has every one of those loathsome traits. You can’t root for him, you just dislike him. And he’s supposed to be the hero.
The Best
5. Cassandra’s Dream (2007) – In this dark, twisty suspense tale, Allen gets you to root for two brothers (played by Colin Farrell and Ewan McGregor) to get away with murder. This is both a genre movie, and a Woody Allen movie. Both are executed well. I did a full review of when it came out which you can find here – Cassandra’s Dream Review.
4. Midnight in Paris (2011) – This is actually my favorite Woody Allen movie of the past ten years. It’s a critique of nostalgia that can’t help from being nostalgic itself. It refreshing to watch a Allen movie with a sweeter tone. Owen Wilson is surprisingly good as the Allen counterpart.
3. Blue Jasmine (2013) – This is an interesting story about a high-class woman losing her fortune and then becoming a working class woman and then a con-artist. But it’s not the plot that makes this movie great, it’s the performances. Cate Blanchett gives the finest performance by an actress ever in an Woody Allen movie. Sally Hawkins is incredibly vulnerable as the “dumber and less successful” sister, and Andrew Dice Clay and Louis C.K. turn in interesting supporting performances.
2. Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) – This is the best exploration of non-traditional romantic relationships Allen has ever done. It shows the downside of both progressive and traditional romantic couplings.It does it through plot and character, and only minimally through philosophical discussions. Allen directed another great set of performances in this movie as well. I also wrote a full review for this pic which you can find here. – Vicky Cristina Barcelona Review.
1. Match Point (2005) – His masterpiece of the last ten years. Plot, character, theme, cinematography, and performance are all perfectly in sync in this film. Allen lays out the philosophy that “It’s better to be lucky, than to be good” in the most engrossing way possible.
Honorable Mention
Depending on how you look at it Melinda and Melinda came out ten years ago, or it has been eleven years since it was released. I really enjoyed that movie and think it’s underrated. A tragic story and comedic story are told in parallel and in the end they overlap in a surprising way. The parallel storytelling works better than clashing story threads on the worst movie list. Both tales are strong. I would rate it as tied for fifth best movie if I was officially including it.