Over the years, I've probably disliked almost as many Woody Allen movies as I've liked, but when I disliked one of his movies I still felt it was a generally well-made film that just went in a direction I didn't like. The shocking thing about Hollywood Ending is, it's badly made. Nothing is done with the film's reasonably clever potential and scenes that should have been funny simply fall apart. The dialogue is clunky and the film appears to be made by someone who has no concept of the basic mechanics of film comedy. There are some good lines scattered here and there but the movie is a truly toothless satire. There is no chemistry at all between Woody and Tea, who is wasted and reveals none of the comic talent she has shown elsewhere, and it seems painfully clear that Woody was not the right mate for her or anyone. Somehow Debra Messing manages to make more out of her little part than anyone else in the movie (except, perhaps, George Hamilton, who only gets about four lines but gets the most out of all four).
There are other Allen films I've actually found less enjoyable to watch than Hollywood Ending, but none I've found as badly made. I haven't seen the last couple of Allen films so I don't know if this marks the beginning of the end or if he was just having a bad year, but this is a truly bad movie.
There are other Allen films I've actually found less enjoyable to watch than Hollywood Ending, but none I've found as badly made. I haven't seen the last couple of Allen films so I don't know if this marks the beginning of the end or if he was just having a bad year, but this is a truly bad movie.