Woody At Eighty

His movies either make us laugh out loud, such as Take The Money and Run or Bananas, or they give us something to think about when we're laughing, such as Annie Hall or Hannah and Her Sisters.  He's not the cute, lovable nebbish he used to be, and his more recent films, while occasionally diverting, more often than not demonstrate how far behind his best days are.  And his personal life . . . well' let's not go there.  I come here to praise, not bury.  Throughout 45 films he's directed and numerous other movies he's written and/or acted in (The Front, about the McCarthy-era writing blacklists, is still one of his best films as an actor only), Woody Allen has been consistent in his artistic vision and has always been an interesting moviemaker worth paying attention to at his strongest and even at his weakest. And even though he turns eighty years old today, he's still making movies (another one is slated for release in 2016) and he's not slowing down.  He remains the most European of all American movie directors.

Happy birthday, Woody. :-)