It’s generally understood that Hollywood films about Hollywood tend not to do well at the box office. I’d only been aware of this phenomenon anecdotally. That all changed once I watched Hail, Caesar! (2015), a movie that I, along with many others did not love.

I’m yet to see the most recent Hollywood film about Hollywood. Namely Warren Beatty’s Rules Don’t Apply (2016), but I know that it also didn’t do particularly well upon release. 

The most recent Hollywood movie about Hollywood I’ve watched is Woody Allen’s Cafe Society (2016). I took my time to watch this one for the reasons stated above. It was my love for Allen’s Blue Jasmine (2013), my favourite of his films, curiosity about Blake Lively and Kristen Stewart’s acting that made me finally  tune in.

Cafe Society isn’t one of Allen’s most raved about films. Still, if I had to choose between it and Hail, Caesar! (2015), the latter absolutely would not win, except that the costumes in Hail, Caesar! are more fun.

I wasn’t in love with the ending of Cafe Society and I admit to largely losing interest when one or two of the main characters shows up again towards the end; something to do with my general ‘liking’ Blake Lively’s character, perhaps.

Somehow, I did manage to make it to the film’s conclusion, a rather anticlimactic end I might add. As pleasing as that ending might be to Allen and everyone else, I felt, for want of a better phrase, ‘left in limbo‘.

Performance-wise, Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart were fine but I loved Steve Carell and Parker Posey more. My favourite thing about Cafe Society is the colour filter and the music. I’m just glad that the film didn’t prove to be a waste of my time to the levels of Hail, Caesar! (2015). I wouldn’t say that ‘You simply must see it! You must!’ because I only found it just OK overall.

Happy Film Loving,

G