Apropos of Nothing

I have been up all night reading this and think it's brilliant. I'm about halfway through. Woody Allen grew up six blocks from where I grew up in Brooklyn, so it's a real kick to take a walk down memory lane to places like the Midwood Theater and Dubrow's! The writing is very conversational (I think it could have used some editing on that score, perhaps, but I'm a stickler for grammar...). Woody Allen mixes his trademark humor (which sometimes falls flat here, alas, just like some of his films -- look, as he writes, comedy is about personal taste), with periodically profound and extremely poignant observations. My grandmother and aunt introduced me to his movies in the 1970s when I was a kid, and I've remained a loyal fan ever since. It's sort of like being able to sit with him over a coffee at Dubrow's (before they turned it into a Gap) and just hear him reminisce about the amazing people he has known and worked with. What a gift!UPDATE: I finished the memoir yesterday and wanted to add a few thoughts. For one, I found the first half much stronger in terms of Allen's observations about life, the universe, and everything. The second half is less strong on that score, but, I must add, his aperčus and one-liners are much funnier. I read with great interest what he writes about the Farrow saga, about which I knew very little. Tabloid stories have never interested me very much. My impression is that what he writes is credible. But others must judge for themselves. I found his discussion of his later films rather disappointing -- lots of name-dropping and a quick trip down memory lane, but without adding anything really insightful about his craft or any of the films. He anticipates this criticism on the last few pages, pointing out that he really has nothing interesting to say about his movie-making style. He repeatedly emphasizes in the memoir that he is no intellectual, not a great artist, etc. etc. At first I thought this was coquetterie. But by the time I finished the book, I am convinced that he is being honest. Woody Allen is great at one-liners, as he writes himself here. And I think he really appreciates and enjoys thinking about high art and culture. But. he is no great intellect. Who cares? Many of his films have been an important part of my life since I was a kid. Some of them are, I think, masterpieces (Husband and Wives, Match Point, Manhattan, Purple Rose, Hannah and her Sisters). That said, I'm not so sure, after having read this, that I'd want to spend an entire evening chatting with him -- at Dubrow's or anywhere else! That sounds harsher than I mean it to be. He strikes me as very defensive and irretrievably unhappy, and I think spending time with him would simply be a disagreeable affair (no pun intended). That said, he seems to have found some modicum of happiness with his current wife and their children. I wish them all the very best.

To get the elephant out of the room up top: I believe that the attempted "cancelation" of Woody Allen is unfair, even disgraceful -- and I highly recommend reading Robert Weide's extraordinarily detailed "case closed" account of the so called "allegations." It simply makes zero sense that in the middle of a heated divorce battle, in a houseful of children and nannies, that Woody Allen suddenly decided to start molesting children (something he was never accused of doing before or after) -- in an attic crawlspace no less. (And forget the fact that two separate state sanctioned investigations found no molestation took place). I only mention my feelings on that issue, as this book will no doubt be polarizing for those who want to "tear him down" vs those who want to "hear what this genius has to say." Well, I am here to say: this is a brilliant, insightful, funny, quirky book by a unique thinker, and a cultural icon. Don't believe the "cancel culture" apoplexy without reading this engrossing autobiography. What emerges is a extremely well-written book full of many fascinating stories, told in great detail, with intelligence and wit, about an unusual, awkward, one-of-a-kind artist. Where his movies "came from" makes a lot more sense after reading this book. Please don't give in to the (negative) hype. Read it, and decide for yourself. I have no doubt that the genius of Woody Allen will long be remembered after his (clearly disturbed, and brainwashed) son is just a footnote to history.

Funny, frank, fascinating, insightful, and frequently self-deprecating. I'm SO glad Mr. Allen found a publisher with a spine, so that his story could finally be told, despite the avalanche of ignorant, anti-Woody propaganda that was - and is - sure to meet its release. Hard facts and solid evidence are of no interest to the Woody-haters. It's like trying to convince a Trumper that they just might have erred in their choice of leaders. Read this book and then decide for yourself whether or not he sounds as if he's a sick monster. (Spoiler alert: He is neither.) A remarkable and revealing memoir by one of the greatest filmmakers of all time - and a very funny fellow.