Play It Again, Sam (1972)

When Allen's wife divorces him, his best friends Dick and Linda, a married couple, attempt to set him up with a new woman. But Dick is busy with work and doesn't pay enough attention to his wife, who spends so much time with Allen they fall in love. Coming nearly two decades earlier, it is perhaps the most Seinfeld-esque film I have seen, and Woody's greatest gift here is the ability to poke fun at himself. He plays a neurotic, anxious, insecure film buff who hilariously makes a fool of himself in front of every new woman he meets, employing both slapstick and one liners. There is also a fantasy element as Humphrey Bogart of Casablanca, a prototype for the alpha male, appears in the background shots as the muse in Allen's imagination, giving him advice on how to approach each situation. Aside from the finale, purposefully mimicking the finale of Casablanca, there is virtually none of that films noir or romantic lighting effects, presenting 'Play It Again, Sam' as a piece of 'reality' to that films stylization. It is fairly light stuff, but a comedians job is to make you laugh, and it certainly does that. Very enjoyable and well crafted.

It is sort of important to note that, although this movie stars and was written (and based on a play) by Woody Allen, he did not direct it. However, I could not have guessed that unless I was told, because this movie, even within in its direction, has Allen all over it, and is often labeled as a "Woody Allen movie" rather than a "Herbert Ross movie" (although Ross has directed other famous romantic comedies like "The Goodbye Girl" and "California Suite"). Anyway, I found "Play It again, Sam" to be a pretty awesome little movie. It's not among the greatest of Allen's films, but it still is really great. The characters are likable and the story is highly engaging and entertaining. The film has many of the classic Woody Allen trademarks utilized to their finest effect; there is plenty of witty dialogue, movie reference, and comedic fantasies sprinkled all throughout this charming love story. It is sort of a "standard" vintage Woody Allen movie, but a "standard Woody Allen movie" is far and away superior to a "standard movie". Allen is a comic genius, and this early film of his shines due to its ability to expose the light of an otherwise slightly melancholy and dramatic overall story.

Woody Allen adapted his own hit play and stars in this modestly amusing comedy about a recently-divorced film historian in San Francisco, cartoonishly insecure around women, who is fixed up on dates by his best friends and advised on relationship matters by the spirit of Humphrey Bogart in his "Casablanca" period. Herbert Ross directed, with Librium-slow changes in tempo (the movie pokes along from low-keyed slapstick to dazed romantic comedy). In her first film with Allen, Diane Keaton hasn't yet found her niche on-screen; her whining matches Woody's, but her overall personality is so piqued she tends to evaporate in the middle of scenes. Allen has stuffed his screenplay with one-liners and repetitive jokes that tend to run together, some making an impact and all the rest bombing out. Susan Anspach adds a slight edge as Allen's ex-wife, but Tony Roberts is a hole in the screen as the buddy who may lose his wife to Woody, a complication only Bogie could help iron out. ** from ****

This story of unrequited love is quite precious. Woody has had a series of disastrous encounters with women and has always been emasculated. He is visited by the ghost of Humphrey Bogart who gives him advice. Of course, Woody is not Bogart and there's the rub. Tony Roberts is married to Diane Keaton and because she is forbidden, Allen begins a real relationship with her. Every time he tries to be something he is not, things fall apart. He lets Casablanca and Rick Blaine run his life. When push comes to shove, Woody knows that things are going to be difficult to reconcile. There are many hilarious moments and some great lines. Allen can play the sensitive fool better than just about anyone. I think his charm is that he is aware and smart, but he never quite can overcome his basic nature. This is certainly a fine comedy, one of Allen's better films.