Irrational Man (Woody Allen, 2015)

[domino harvey]

WOW: Joaquin Phoenix to star in Woody Allen's next film

Emma Stone is back again

And Parker Posey -- Plot details thus far seem to indicate a college-set film dealing with professors

[hearthesilence]

Does Joaquin Phoenix play a prof who has an affair with one of his students? Almost feel that's how things are going to tilt.

[domino harvey]

Producer reveals it's a "murder mystery"

[ShellOilJunior]

Filming in Newport and Beavertail.

[domino harvey]

Film is titled Irrational Man, is being distro-ed by Sony again

[The Narrator Returns]

Plus:

Darius Khondji is shooting again (woo hoo!)

[ShellOilJunior]

Indiewire: release set for 7/24/15

[Professor Wagstaff]

Trailer

[mfunk9786]

Does Joaquin Phoenix play a prof who has an affair with one of his students? Almost feel that's how things are going to tilt.

Shockingly, you nailed it

[domino harvey]

Woody Allen's trailers in the last decade (at least) have all been terrible, so it's impossible to tell anything about this film really-- though it doesn't look very good, does it? Presumably (hopefully) the performances will feel more fitting in context

[criterion10]

Didn't watch this trailer (I don't watch any trailers -- no reason to when I'm going to see the film anyway), but I did notice that it is, like Allen's past few films, in 2.35:1 scope. Any idea why he's seemingly switched over to this ratio?

[Professor Wagstaff]

I feel like Sony Pictures Classics cuts a lot of weak trailers (Allen's films, Almodovar films, Before Midnight, and Only Lovers Left Alive to name a few) in the same style without offering much as to what the movies are about. Selling dialogue-driven films in particular does not seem to be their strong point.

[hearthesilence]

Does Joaquin Phoenix play a prof who has an affair with one of his students? Almost feel that's how things are going to tilt.

Shockingly, you nailed it

When you're that predictable, you're pretty much dead as an artist.

[domino harvey]

That's enough of that

[criterion10]

When you're that predictable, you're pretty much dead as an artist.

I don't think that's fair to say. Allen has revisited the same themes in many of his films, and while some of his films turn out to be rather disposable (i.e. Magic in the Moonlight), they rarely are bad, and in many cases, he even manages to create a unique twist on such themes. Case-in-point: Match Point, one of his best films, dealing with a similar morality crisis as what is featured in Crimes and Misdemeanors.

FWIW, a dark romance involving Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone is enough to convince that this could potentially be one of his best films.

[The Narrator Returns]

Screw all this talk of predictability, I'm loving the fact that Allen appears to have fallen in love with widescreen, and especially his continuing collaboration with Darius Khondji (the scenes in the trailer look great). I'm there as soon as I can be.

[Cronenfly]

This looks disturbingly like the recent Hugh Grant vehicle The Rewrite, from the college setting to the older/younger woman fighting for the insecure male protagonist's affections to the presence of Allison Janney (who seems to be a magnet for college-set projects these days; the two titles in question, Liberal Arts, Masters of Sex...) I've no doubt the Allen will be a more worthwhile venture, but still another project that does not look to be keeping up with the current race/gender/class struggles that seem to me to be the meat of campus life today.

[The Narrator Returns]

[Grand Wazoo]

Jese, is Twilight Time doing poster art now?

[sir_luke]

To be fair, this is a breath of fresh air after the Magic in the Moonlight travesties.

[mfunk9786]

If this poster is what constitutes fresh air these days, I'm going to start visiting one of those oxygen bars.

[Altair]

I understand the reservations around the poster, it's not startlingly original, but I like it, it has a nice 70s vibe and a good use of Allen's patented font and the contrast between the blurry, "vintage" photo and the white background with black lettering works really well. Plus, Joaquin Pheonix playing a Woody Allen-surrogate character has to be a must-watch...

[sir_luke]

Scott Foundas gives a positive review

[mfunk9786]

@mattzollerseitz: I saw IRRATIONAL MAN on Tuesday morning and haven't been able to write about it. It's so inert that even saying the title makes me tired.

[mfunk9786]

The Dissolve's Tasha Robinson re-emerges with The Verge to rip this movie a new one. Spoilers within.