This latest Woody Allen offering is charming in its simplicity. Especially in an era where motion pictures are anything but simple in style, scope, cinematography, special effects, sound effects, etc. Perhaps a little too simplistic, but refreshing nonetheless.
A classic theme of faith vs. reason forms the underlying current of the storyline, and we are treated to lovely vistas of the French Riviera in evening light that include vintage cars and elegant costumes, all of which of course, pale in the glow of the young American woman from Kalamazoo, Michigan, played by the lovely Emma Stone. Colin Firth is the consummate Englishman actor, but one can’t help wonder if a girl as young as Stone might truly fall in love with a man his age. Or is that how art reflects life given the well-known personal life of the director, Mr. Allen?
I suppose there have been more remarkable films of Mr. Allen than this one; and for all you know, this one might very well seem like a recycled one, but all flaws notwithstanding, there is a sweetness to it, and for someone like myself who is willing to intentionally turn a blind eye to such thematic matters, it is time well-spent.
