Woody Allen has been a popular name in the movie world since the mid-60s. He is known for his unique brand of wit and humour, as well as his prolific output- Allen has tried his hand as a director, writer, actor, jazz musician comedian and playwright over the years, entertaining millions throughout the world.
The Beginning...
Woody Allen began writing at an early age for popular television shows, and he began his film career in the 1960s, appearing opposite Peter Sellers and Peter O'Toole in the movie What's New Pussycat (1965). He had a string of successes in the 1970s. He directed, wrote and acted in classic films such as Sleeper (1973), Love and Death (1975), Annie Hall (1977) and Manhattan (1979), all of which also featured Diane Keaton. Annie Hall is one of the best-loved romantic comedies of all time, and won four Acadamy Awards. It is still considered by many as one of the greatest films ever.
New York, New York...
In the 80s Allen continued his prolific work, writing, directing and acting in about 1 film per year. Among them are Zelig (1983), a mockumentary about a man who is like a human chameleon, able to adapt to the people around him. Hannah and her Sisters (1986) was a romantic comedy that received 7 Academy Award nominations. New York Stories (1989), an anthology with 3 short films directed by Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola and Woody Allen. Allen's segment, Oedipus Wrecks is about a New York lawyer and his struggles against his critical Jewish mother. Both Hannah and her Sisters and New York Stories also starred Mia Farrow, Allen's then partner.
The 90s and beyond
The 1990s and 2000s brought about a bit of a change in Allen's work, as he began to take a backseat from acting, focusing more on writing and directing. He did, however, act in Mighty Aphrodite (1995) with Helena Bonham Carter, and found time to have a voice part in the movie Antz (1998). Allen also wrote and directed the film Celebrity in 1998, a star-filled film, with, among others, Winona Ryder, Charlize Theron and Leonardo DiCaprio. In 2005 Woody Allen made his first film in England, Match Point. Allen is currently working on the movie "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" set in Spain and starring Penelope Cruz and Scarlett Johansson.
jwi, 08.02.08. |
