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 until I watched Hail, Caesar! (2015), a movie I along with many others did not love.

I’m yet to see the most recent Hollywood movie 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 movies, Blake Lively and a general curiosity about 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 definitely 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’ of Blake Lively and her character, perhaps. Somehow I did manage to make it to the film’s conclusion; 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