Woody Allen probably is the hardest working director in the movie industry as he delivers a new movie (which he also writes) every year. With such a high number of movies however, it can mean that the quality sometimes suffers. Still he does offer movies worth seeing (like the recent Midnight in Paris and Blue Jasmine). Can Bullets over Broadway also be added to the good movies?
Allen always succeeds in getting together an amazing cast and this movie is no exception. John Cusack, Dianne Wiest, Jennifer Tilly, Chazz Palminteri, Rob Reiner and Jim Broadbent are just a few of the actors appearing. The story is about David Shayne (John Cusack), a playwright who is having trouble to get his work onto the stage. His producer however has found a way to get a production financed, but there is one huge drawback: The money comes from a gangster who will only give it if his girlfriend, Olive Neal (Jennifer Tilly), receives a huge role. She’s a horrible performer and David reluctantly agrees. The production can start, actors are hired and the various egos make rehearsals quite difficult. Olive’s aggressive bodyguard (Chazz Palminteri, who’s well-known for his gangster roles) is constantly giving criticism about the play and the diva Helen Sinclair (Dianne Wiest) tries to make her part bigger and better to make sure she remains in the spotlight.
With Bullets over Broadway Allen really succeeds in bringing the creative process, including its frustrations, to the screen. The atmosphere of the twenties comes to life through the sets and costumes. By mixing the story about producing a play with typical story elements from gangster movies he delivers an entertaining comedy. With its colourful characters I think it is one of the better Allen movies. Therefore it also doesn’t surprise me that the movie received a lot of Oscar nominations at the time and receiving one for the best supporting actress.
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