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10 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
One Funny Man, 26 September 2002
Author: harry-76 from Cleveland, Ohio

If you thought you had be Jewish or from New York to fully appreciate Woody Allen, this movie proves otherwise.

Documentarian Barbara Kopple took her hand-held camera on Allen's '96 European tour, in which he and his jazz band played a whopping 18 concerts in 23 days. She photographed him everywhere but in the "john": in airplanes, hotel rooms, lobbies, receptions, backstage, onstage, in the streets--everywhere.

His deadpan quips and jousts buoy up what would have been a conventional travelogue. You're never sure whether Allen's being serious or satiric, but one finds one's self laughing at nearly all his comments. He's just an amusing guy.

For comedic reasons, it certainly helps that Woody has one of the funniest faces around--even without his "vanishing creme and beauty gel" he comments is amongst his toilitry. As to his tour, this is a chance to see and hear what's been talked about for years. That is, an example of Woody's playing in that certain lower Manhattan pub where he's tooted his "licorice stick"--even being loyal to that group one year rather than bothering to go pick up an "Oscar."

Playing the clarinet since age 15, Allen admits to practicing two hours daily--a "must," he says, "just to keep the chops in shape." It also helps that his playing is "only a hobby, to have fun." Judging from his New Orleans style jazz performance, he's probably being quite honest.

But he also seems to be bringing some extra-musical attributes to his concerts--a whole range of associations with his past creative efforts. All the laughs, pleasures, joys, frustrations, and sorrows associated with his total body of work seem to be reprised as he--now a genuine icon--stands there, slim of body, pouring his heart out in every selection.

Ably assisted by musicians on the trumpet, trombone, drums, piano, banjo and bass, Allen is clearly the star, appearing in a strictly all-musical format. There are only a few words of introduction and closing sentences from him. The rest is ninety minutes of pure music.

How remarkable are his European followers! They simply love and adore him. They mob him outside his hotel, backstage and through the streets as he walks, taking endless photos ("It's the same photo," he quips). They wave ecstatically at him as he takes gondola rides in Venice. The staid English stand and cheer at the end of his London concerts. Nationalistic Parisians drool over his weak attempts to greet them in French.

Europeans also love the more esoteric Allen films, like "Interiors," which flopped in the US. There's no doubt: Woody Allen is an overseas hero. An added final bonus is Allen with his mom and dad in their NYC apartment, they obviously proud of but publicly reserved about their son's accomplishments. "In spite of the fact that you beat me daily," Allen quips to his mom.

We're fortunate to have this 105-minute documentary for posterity. It may prove increasingly valuable as time goes on.

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6 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Wild Man Blues (1997) ***, 31 January 2005

Author: JoeKarlosi from U.S.A.

For the die-hard Woody Allen fan, this is a very interesting documentary that takes a look at the man, the neurotic, and - in particular for the purposes of this film - the musician.

This is a candid travelogue surrounding Woody's 1996 tour of Europe, where he was booked with his New Orleans Jazz Band to play a series of engagements. The camera follows Allen (along with Soon Yi Previn and his sister) on the plane, in hotel rooms, on the streets with appreciative fans, and of course on the stage when Woody's performing his favorite music. It's a pretty safe bet that a good chunk of the paying audience was in attendance not so much to hear the jazz as to catch a live glimpse of their favorite movie star, and that's sort of the case with us, too.

The occasional concert performances are pleasant enough, but they're not the most valuable elements of the movie; for most fans, things really come alive when we get to see Allen being himself behind the scenes: getting jittery while riding in his boat in Venice, getting grossed out at the thought of a dog licking his face, cautioning people at a press conference that he's claustrophobic, struggling with an uncooperative clarinet, and musing over the respect his films receive in Europe as opposed to their indifference at home. It becomes quite amazing to see firsthand just how much of his true persona is actually what he uses to flesh out those crazy characters he plays in all his films.

Nowhere is it more evident just how Woody may have wound up so endearingly neurotic than it is when he returns home to New York at the end of the film. It's then that we meet his still-living parents who seem to do everything in their power to discredit him after his long trip; dad is more interested in the quality of the engraving on Woody's overseas awards rather than being complimentary toward the honor itself; mom reminds her son not to think he made it famous all on his own, and doesn't pull punches when she gives her opinion of Woody's choice of woman.

WILD MAN BLUES is not meant for just your average movie lover, but if you're a genuine fan of Woody Allen and his films, you really should catch it.

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
revealing just enough, with some good tunes and sweet sights, 8 October 2005

Author: Filmjack3 from United States

Wild Man Blues (named after a terrific Louis Armstrong song) shows Woody Allen during his trip to Europe and abroad for a tour with his Jazz band. So the question you might be asking is, how much is shown? How candid does filmmaker Barbara Kopple go into the behind-the-scenes and off-the-stage stuff in the film? One could say not enough, but then how personal can one get with a cinematic heavyweight like Allen? True, it's not always just him that carries the interest in the film; his New Orleans Jazz band (the same, more or less, that gave that hilariously cool score for his film Sleeper) is toe-tapping fun, especially if you like this sort of music (I got into it a little more after watching the Ken Burns documentary), with Eddie Davis the banjo player and director of the group a real treat. It may be odd to say, but despite Woody's talent at the clarinet, it sometimes doesn't bring as much attention for one as does the 'talky' scenes.

And some of these, of course, have the young Soon-Yi Prevlin in tow. This was of course a few years after the whole hoopla went over about the break-up and all. It's curious to see how their relationship goes in the film, what is and what isn't shown, and this is I think when Kopple gets the most personal, even if it's a little uncomfortably so. Indeed, this is an Allen that is not really like the one he portrays in film after film- it does have the moments of humor, and his neuroses are in full view of the lens. But by giving it this extra view, it shows him as much more of a relatable person, or maybe not (the film does show him in Europe as being far more celebrity-like than here). In all, it works best as an objective view of the subject matter, of a director who also happens to be a good musician who enjoys playing what he calls "crude...esoteric music" of old. It is, at least for the Woody admirer, entirely watchable.

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
A look behind the scenes of Woody Allen's life., 8 February 2005

Author: Linda (lindaz) from Austria

This film provides a deeper insight into Woody Allen's private life, not to mention a treat for anyone who loves old New Orlean's jazz.

What I found most interesting was seeing Woody Allen as he really is which isn't much different from his characters in his movies. His interactions with people, his humor, his moods, his explanations of himself, seeing his interaction with his parents.

It was very real. Very human. Just what you'd expect from Woody Allen.

Some key quotes:

His wife, Soon yi said: "When she came to see you play, she said that's the most movement she's seen from you from the whole time she's known you."

Woody: "The most movement? What does she expect? I mean, I'm not gonna bob my head and tap my feet when I'm talking about politics or literature or something. I'm not going to keep time. Right? Be reasonable. I'm appropriately animated for a human in the context within which I exist."

Lady: "You are so intelligent. You are so happy to be so intelligent." Woody (jokingly): "Well, yes. It is a burden though sometimes. With this much intelligence comes great responsibility. You know. It's lonely at the top."

In the hotel restaurant walking around: "Oh, there's the band. Oh, my goodness, they're eating like their going to the 'chair'."

"Whenever I travel, I always have to have my own bathroom because I'm crazy. So I always wind up taking an extra room or an extra suite of rooms. Then I can place around all my unctions and vanishing creams and the cosmetics that give me this look."

With his wife at breakfast in their Milan hotel: "You know, this being Milan, I hope our laundry doesn't come back breaded."

"I've got the kind of personality that when I'm here (Europe) I miss New York and when I'm in New York I miss Europe. I just don't like being where I am at any given moment. I would rather be somewhere else. So you know there's no way to beat that problem because no matter where you are, you know what I mean, it's chronic dissatisfaction."

In London with a bad cold: "What a drag. I was looking forward to giving a good show tonight. I don't want to just go out there and make an achievement till I get through the show. I want the show to be very good cause if I'm not good, these people will hate me in my own language."

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Effective documentary, 29 October 2001

Author: Gyran from Birmingham, England

This is a documentary account of Allen's tour of Europe with his New Orleans jazz band. Barbara Kopple directs effectively and seems to have the ability to be there at the crucial moment without the scenes looking staged or faked. I do not know if the film is a deliberate attempt to counter the bad publicity Allen received over his affair with the teenage Soon-Yi. Certainly the now 27 year-old Soon-Yi appears to be the dominant one of the partnership like a kindly but strict mother controlling the behaviour of her naughty child. I particularly enjoyed the breakfast scene in Madrid where she gently scolds Allen for not showing sufficient appreciation to the members of his band. She orders Spanish omelette because it seems to be the appropriate thing to have and then makes Allen eat it because it tastes like rubber. The final scene is fascinating with Allen and Soon-Yi back in New York visiting Allen's parents, both in their 90s. Both parents are dismissive of Allen's achievements and his mother confesses that she wanted him to marry a nice Jewish girl.

Allen's clarinet playing is variable. He seems to be having trouble with his reed throughout the tour. On good nights he sounds like a reasonable George Lewis imitator, on a bad night in Paris he could barely coax a note out of his instrument. The audiences loved him apart from a bejewelled invited audience in Rome that clapped politely and sat wearing bemused smiles throughout the performance

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3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Woody Allen visits Europe with his New Orleans Jazz Band, 25 January 1999
Author: Christoph Pollinger from Vienna, Austria

"Wild Man Blues" is a truly entertaining documentary about Woody Allen touring through Europe with his New Orleans Jazz Band. Every Monday they use to play at Michael´s Pub in Manhattan. It took a long time until Mr. Allen was persuaded to leave New York and to play in European concert halls, he knew too well that people would come to see him and not because of his inspired clarinet soli. Director Barbara Kopple accompanies him during his concerts and even into his luxurious hotel suites. Not unexpected it turns out that Mr. Allen has strange travel habits. The best moments of the film are when the people that always surround Allen never cease to to express their admiration for him, just like they do in his movie "Stardust memories"(1980) which was a disaster. His fans realized that this satire was directed at them and they recognised themselves in the characters of "Stardust memories". Kopples film reveals that Allen has learnt to live with them. He reacts with a warm smile and a little bit of sarcasm when every day he is told a dozen times "you are the greatest, I love your movies, mostly your earlier and funny ones, why can´t you go on making funny movies...". However, "Wild Man Blues" is a very funny film.

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5 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Witty and enjoyable but you need to be a reasonable fan of Woody Allen, 2 May 2004
Author: bob the moo from Birmingham, UK

Woody Allen and the New Orleans Jazz Band set out on a tour of eighteen cities in seven countries in Europe. Accompanying them is Barbara Kopple, who has been given total access to the musician and filmmaker Allen as he does the shows and the time in between. The end result is a documentary that takes in Allen's love for this rather `crude' form of jazz but also allows for some insights into his personal life, his relationship with Soon Yi and his famous obsessions and neuroses.

I bought this film as a Woody Allen fan and as someone who, while not a fan, certainly enjoys a bit of old fashioned jazz music on a hot sunny night. For both these reasons I enjoyed this film, even though the description of it as a `documentary' is maybe not the most fitting as it implies a certain amount of probing into the subject. Rather than digging, Kopple basically just seems to point the camera and leave it running. She doesn't really ask any questions of Allen or his family and seems content to let him and his companions just talk freely - it made me wonder how many countless hours of footage she must have shot to come up with what she uses here. So if you are looking for insight in Allen then you won't get it here. Likewise, if you are looking for a great deal of discussion or insight into the music then you'll be let down; in this area Kopple also mostly just films the band playing.

That is not to say that the film is bad, because it isn't, but there isn't a great deal of substance to it unless you are Woody Allen fan. As a fan, there isn't a great deal of insight into Allen's life or situation - the conclusion we are left with is no more of an understanding than we started with, that he is a witty little man who is filled with little complexes and neuroses while also being a very private person. The value of the film is that we actually get to see that during the course of the movie. Allen is funny and quite relaxed but a `real' documentary would have pushed harder into the darker issues of Allen's life - many viewers will be annoyed by how the film just accepts Soon Yi without ever really asking any questions or even hinting at the many issues behind their relationship.

Overall I enjoyed this film but then I like Woody Allen's humour and was interested to seeing if his onscreen personae is similar to his real life character. However it isn't really insightful and it is only a scene near the end with Allen and his parents (yeah - I was surprised they were still alive too!) that gives a little background and is interesting. A light, witty and quite enjoyable film but I can't imagine that anyone other than fans of Woody Allen and jazz will get a great deal from this.

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Woody's trip to Europe.....with some good New 'Awlins sounds!!, 26 February 2008

Author: bobm5508 from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I have been a Woody Allen fan most of my life. I enjoyed his silly era ("Bananas", "Sleeper"), his playful stuff ("Annie Hall", "Hannah and Her Sisters") and especially his thoughtful movies ("Crime And Misdemeanors", "Manhattan"). I'll leave the last decade or so alone, since making a movie a year has got repetitious and somewhat stale.

All that said, I remain a fan and was excited to see a documentary on Encore, of his 90's European tour with his "New Orleans Jazz Band". I have seen him perform with his band, so I knew the quality of his playing and his excellent band would add to any enjoyment of the movie. Helmed by an award winning director, I was most interested in that phase of his life. The timeframe was shortly after he announced his love for his ex-lover's adopted daughter, Soon-Yi Previn. Their relationship, prior to their marriage, is depicted here with no intimate moments, but they have a "nice", gentle chemistry with each other. She encourages him, mildly scolds him, comforts him and seems to enjoy their trip. Despite being 35 years younger, she seems to be the more travel savvy, even the more adult of the two. This is probably because Woody is out of his New York routine. He is followed every foot of the way by photographers, has pre and post concert functions to attend, and must stay in suites that are a tad pretentious to his NY roots. Its fun to watch, if a bit sterile. As expected, much of the film is dedicated to his on stage playing and it is decidedly good. His band is in excellent form. The crowds are very appreciative, almost all adoring fans. While the crowd in Rome is a bit stoic, Woody still plays his 90 minute plus show.

There are some eavesdropped conversation that show his wit, and some of his foibles (he must have his own bathroom, he seems to always be starving, etc.). His conversation with fans, and even his parents, bounce from appreciative to impatient, but mostly seem fair. He is able to come and go as he pleases in NYC, but is pushed and prodded pretty good here.

The most telling quote about his life is summed up by a roof top conversation with Soon-Yi. He admits that he loves NY and loves Europe, but....he'd always rather be in NY when he's in Europe and Europe when he's home. He admits that it is difficult to enjoy things, given that phobia. I enjoyed having a camera's eye there for me to observe. The odd and soundly criticized relationship with Soon-Yi seems to withstood the test of time. Woodman, keep playing your music!!

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1 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
A very good look at Woody's passion, 31 August 1999

Author: Mario Bergeron from Cap-de-la-Madeleine, Canada

I really love this movie. Woody Allen appears as a very nice man. Other comments are very right, referring to his movie Stardust Memories. I think it's a little bit sad that all these people wants to see him because he's a famous actor and director, and not because of the music he and his partners seems to love so much. That happens to be my favorite kind of jazz (Jelly Roll Morton! Yeah!) and the band are doin' it in a very attractive way. This movie should be just about music.

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0 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
Life imitates art, 14 January 2005
Author: nyc man from NY, NY

Wild Man Blues (1997) Does life imitate art? Soon-Yi Previn Allen (Woody Allen's wife) tells him at breakfast (minute 21 of the 1 hr 45 minute movie) that Woody should tell his entire band and not just the intermediary that they are good. Soon-Yi says that Woody appears to be a little crazy by not addressing everyone, when they are there in the room with him.

"You were talking only to Eddie Davis… You look like a crazy."

However, this is a bit like his film of 30 years ago "Bananas"(1971), where the translator interprets by repeating word for word what the person says with a slight accent: "Welcome to my country" "WelCOME to my Coun-Trrree", etc.(Note: I am doing this from memory of 30 years ago -- I think / hope I'm right.) Then the translator is chased with a butterfly net by insane asylum attendants. (The point is: The people around the translator hear the same thing repeated, just like Woody's comments are repeated by his band's intermediary.)

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