IRRATIONAL MAN – The Review

Review by Dane Marti

One of the reasons I love the work of Woody Allen is that he obviously thinks of cinema as an art form, intellectual and aesthetic. Allen attempts –and often succeeds in a magnificent way—in delving deeper into a visual tale. Sure, his films ordinarily are extremely entertaining, but I find that they always contain a bit more. ‘The Irrational Man’ is a good, solid example of a film that offers thoughtful and interesting surprises for film viewers.

Allen’s films, even when they are not completely successful, are always interesting—and I mean that word in a truly positive way.

The Story: A young, disheveled professor, Abe Lucas, played with angst and passion by Joaquin Phoenix, arrives at a prestigious eastern University. Although only in his thirties, Abe is already a legend with the local academic environment, women in particular. And he definitely reeks Existential angst, not only discussing different philosophers and worldviews in class, but everywhere he goes in the picturesque town: It’s a running, obsessive conversation that plays non stop in his mind. At first, it appears to the viewer that he is simply a tortured soul, attempting to live his life with meaning.

Phoenix is great in his performance. You feel his frustration. And, as in many great films, whether comedy or drama, you smile and chuckle at his perplexed nature: Whether an intellectual or not, everyone should be able to understand his inner pain and confusion. Somehow, most of us come to some understanding in how we should deal with life. Hell, some of us deal with life by utilizing medication or drugs or alcohol; we are all confused, many of us in pain.  What am I saying? I figure we end up compromising with life and dealing with the slings and arrows of this crazy and ugly world in the best way we can. At least, most of us do this.

The film is at first a small character study. Abe meets a few other people, a student and fellow professor: Both find him fascinating. They glean that he is messed up, of course, but to them, compared with many academic dullards they know, he radiates a cool intensity: Yes, he offers them an escape. Although Abe mightily tries to dissuade her, he soon becomes involved with the young and gorgeous Jill Pollard, played with subtle conviction and just the right amount of sweetness by Emma Stone. Parker Poesy is—as in practically everything else she has ever acted in—superb in her small role. Frankly, Stone and Phoenix are the red-hot center of the story, with other characters in the town commenting and inhabiting the narrative, but never completely entering the couple’s duel of emotional morality.

While the first half of the film focuses on relationships in a relaxed, humorous and verbal way, the second half of the movie takes a dark turn: I wouldn’t call it film Noir or Hitchcockian exactly because it cohesively fits with the intrinsic subject matter that the first half had done so well. However, the audience discovers that, at least for some people, continuously analyzing goals and purpose in life can occasionally drive one toward delusion. Allen’s direction of his actors is, as usual, skilled. I believe that he also lets them create emotions, expressing their characters and  (Allen’s stunning dialogue) with their own unique talent; he doesn’t interfere. This is just my guess…The cinematography of Newport Rhode Island is lovely: ‘Annie Hall’, ‘Manhattan’, ‘Zelig’ firing all the way up to ‘Midnight in Paris’ and ‘Magic in the Moonlight’, the visual look in Allen’s films has always demonstrated that he isn’t simply interested in acting, dialogue and fascination with human beings. The visual frame is also important.

As in every Woody Allen film, the dynamic interplay between characters had me enthralled from start to finish. While this definitely isn’t one of Allen’s best, it is still a quality motion picture. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to see that the creators involved in the work are all making something with passion: It’s on a higher aesthetic and intellectual level than the average amusement park ride that passes as a movie in theaters these days.

3 1/2 of 5 Stars