IRRATIONAL MAN

"Irrational Man" seems to have been grossly misinterpreted by critics who saw in this movie Allen striving for profundity and then falling short when, in fact, this is one of Woody's best and brightest comedies in years. I suppose it can be seen as the third part of a loose trilogy of films in which murder is central to the proceedings and which began with "Match Point" and was then followed by "Cassandra's Dream". I liked "Match Point" a lot; it was a very clever comedic play on "Crime and Punishment" and Woody, moving fully away from the US for the first time, made great use of his London locations. "Cassandra's Dream" was considerably less successful, partly because he abandoned the comedy element entirely but more so because he was working in a milieu he simply didn't understand. But with "Irrational Man" he is well and truly back on form.

The setting is one of those Eastern, small-town colleges, (in this case, Providence), where Joaquin Phoenix is the new kid in the philosophy block, (not to be taken literally; he's actually the new professor). He has a reputation for philandering and heavy drinking, both well-founded, (he carries a hip-flask everywhere he goes and has affairs with married teacher Parker Posey and student Emma Stone). He also finds an opportunity to redeem his life by murdering a 'bad' judge, thus ridding the world of someone whose position in it can only be seen as detrimental to his fellow man. The way in which Phoenix goes about executing his plan and its subsequent aftermath is what gives the film its comic edge yet Woody, being Woody, never loses sight of the philosophical arguments either.

We have, of course, been here before but there is no-one as good at this kind of thing as Mr Allen; it's a formula with which he really can't miss. It's also blessed with three superb performances, (well, several actually; the tiny roles are beautifully fleshed out, too). Phoenix is perfectly cast as the professor, right down to his pot belly. It's a great comic performance. As the two women in his life neither Parker Posey or Emma Stone have ever been better. Allen is renowned for directing actresses to Supporting Oscars and there is no reason why he can't do so again, though I would be loathe to have to choose between them. Stone's realisation that the man she loves may be a murderer is a joy to behold. Oh, and it's got a great jazz score too, mainly courtesy of the R
amsey Lewis Trio.