Love And Death

I don't know why anyone bothers to go to university to study philosophy, when all you have to do is see this film.

Such wonderful dialogue. I laughed out loud so many times the dog got worried that I was having a turn...

Watch it and revel in the wisdom of Woody Allen.

I suppose it is meant to be a spoof of War and Peace where slapstick and visual gags are alternated with quasi-philosophical musings. It is certainly entertaining and very funny in places but I always get the impression that Woody Allen is trying to work out things in his own life but not really getting anywhere.

The locations are pleasing and it was good to have a more panoramic picture to look at: I did however feel that Diane Keaton was rather one-dimensional did not fully engage with the viewer.

This is an early Woody Allen and I could easily have done without it. Do not find it funny.As much as I like later Allen films, this does not do it for me.

I loved this film when I first saw it 30 years ago, and it's still brilliant. Full of Allen's best jokes - Countess Alexandrovna such as 'You are the best lover I've ever had'. Boris (WA) 'I practice a lot when alone.'

No matter what Woody Allen uses as his backdrop for films, if you know his work it is still Woody Allen! This film bears no difference, set in Russia at the time of the Napoleonic wars the films comedy pace starts ASAP, referencing on Russian lifestyle and Jewish lifestyle, very un-PC but also very funny. The problem is the pace runs out in the last 20 mins and even though the film is only 1 hour 20 mins, it does feel a lot longer.

Dont get me wrong when Woody Allen is on comedy form whether it be intellectual, sexual, political or just general slapstick he is funny and this film does have flashes of brilliance. Using his regualr Diane Keaton is also a massive positive as they just have the best chemistry together.

The story line is not that important but is very familiar to other stuff Woody has used in his other films, Woody plays a coward sent to war who achieves hero status by accident and marries the women of his dreams only for the war to start again so he and his partner plan an assasination on Napoleon! there! Woody playing a coward, nothing new. Woody getting insanely gorgeous women in bed even though he knows he looks like a rat, check. Woody facing camera talking complete funny nonsense, check, you get the picture.

Good film overall but slightly lacking something near the end. If a Woody Allen fan you must see.