Broadway Danny Rose (1984) - 2nd time

Nominated for 2 Academy Awards:

Best Director: Woody Allen

Best Original Screenplay

Of the 7 films Woody Allen has received Best Director nominations for at the Academy Awards, only 3 (Annie Hall, Hannah and Her Sisters and Midnight in Paris) have also been nominated for Best Picture, while the other 4 (Interiors, Broadway Danny Rose, Crimes and Misdemeanors and Bullets Over Broadway) didn’t get this honour. It marks a record, I believe. This piece of (useless for some) trivia means that either the Director’s branch loves him, or that his screenplays & directing choices are the real stars of his films.

Broadway Danny Rose is one of his less-known movies, also one of his most underrated. I loved it when I first saw it many years ago, and my feelings haven’t changed. It’s short, and funny and smart. It doesn’t start off ideally, but once Mia Farrow gets in the picture, it’s all fun. Woody’s great too, one of his best acting performances. The film ends up playing almost like a screwball comedy, but also nobody writes dialogue like Woody. The screenplay is simple and superb. As writer and director, he has a great eye for the absurd, from the casting (that Italian gathering, the mobsters!) to the way scenes play out.

It’s not for everyone, but it’s one of the Woody Allen essentials. Did I say how fabulous Mia is here? 😊

I give it: 9/10

IMDB LINK