Made for 2.4 million Euros (a bit under $3 million at the current exchange rate). A French black and white movie about a failing actor who moves in with a failed actress-turned-office-worker and her daughter. The girl calls him "Daddy" but he has a girlfriend who dumps him when she realizes he's of no help to her.
This, I think, could be Woody Allen's future if he played his cards right, making little films for the cost of a TV episode. They might go over better than what he's doing now, making low budget movies that still cost too much using unnecessarily big stars. I've seen "zero budget" movies shot in New York and the actors working for free were great. There's such a glut of actors there.
Just when Mia and Ronan Farrow think they've destroyed him, Woody Allen could blossom in a new phase of his career. In this age of digital video, what could stop him?
This movie is better than anything I can imagine Allen doing. The characters weren't talking constantly. They walked around without a narrator explaining what they were doing. The little girl gave it some energy.
The thing about Allen is he gets paid whether his movies make money or not, getting fees for writing and directing. Then if one does hit it big, like Midnight in Paris, he rakes in a fortune. He has an incredible work ethic, but would he keep at it if the money dried up?
Directed by Philippe Garrel. Available on Fandor.
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