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Viewing: 5/4 @ 3:15pm

I am a huge Woody Allen fan. Huge. When I was in high school I took an independent study in film and my final paper was on Woody Allen. I've seen nearly all of his films and I really enjoyed the last two. So, when I came into Hollywood Ending, my expectations were high. And as usual, the film was entertaining even though it wasn't groundbreaking.

The film is about a struggling director who is given a last shot from his ex-wife, who is now the studio president's fiancé. Just before he begins shooting, the director goes blind (psychosomatically, of course) and is forced to shoot the entire film blind. As you could imagine, the film becomes a story of both the return of the director as well as the relationship between Woody and his ex-wife.

Now I have a theory concerning Woody Allen and his films. I believe that the whole of his work is autobiographical and each film is a slice of his life. Obviously it is not a historical biography, but rather a fictional biography; the life he would lead if he lived in a movie and not on Earth. Sometimes he wants to play a particular role (Curse of the Jade Scorpion, Manhattan Murder Mystery, Sleeper), often he explores his relationship with women (Deconstructing Harry, Annie Hall), and he is always thinking about sex. Isn't this what we all want? A cool job, a great relationship and amazing sex? Don't answer that.

This film seems to fall in the relationship category, or even as a filler piece. He is further discussing his inability to commit but this time he puts it in a more realistic setting. I'm not going to do a critical analysis of the meaning behind why he is blind and how that relates to his relationships and his filming, but you can see that he is clearly being very introspective here. More so than usual.

It works, fairly well. The beginning is great. Allen always does an amazing job introducing characters and letting the audience learn about them without having to spell it out (It also helps that Allen is always himself), and this movie is no exception. Debra Messing plays Allen's mistress and does a great job. I wondered how she would perform away from Will and Grace, and I was pleasantly surprised. The rest of the cast was up to par but didn't stand out, except for the Barney Cheng, the translator for the cinematographer. I won't ruin the pleasure of hearing this yourself, but his interaction with Woody is priceless. Possibly the funniest pair I've seen in his movies.

Hollywood Ending was Allen's first chance to really take a stab at the film industry and he had no problem doing it. One of the best quotes is when Allen is promised "3% of the quadruple break even gross." Okay, so it's insider humor but it's funny. There are plenty of jokes for those in the know and those looking in.

The ending of the movie seems to be the weak point. I really like the premise and the way it develops, but the end seems like a cop out. [SPOILER] The end truly is a Hollywood ending. He gets the girl, the film ends up being loved by the French and he regains his sight. If this was really intended to be a critique of the industry shouldn't he have deviated from the norm?

The truth is that the film was not about the industry but a new chapter in the Woody Allen autobiography. Therefore he had to be a success and had to get the girl.

Many critics have claimed that Allen reached his peak 20 years ago and has gone downhill ever since (Salon's review was especially biting). Yes, he has gone downhill but when you've made movies as poignant as Annie Hall, there isn't much else to do.

When it comes down to it, Woody Allen fans will enjoy this movie. There are some great lines and funny characters, even if the story is three-quarters baked. The nice thing about Woody Allen is that his style is dependable. If you're a fan, you're a fan for life. Now if you're a newbie, I suggest you rent either Annie Hall or Sleeper and then check out Hollywood Ending.