Woody's Love Letter to Cinema
Most likely to be Woody's last battle as a Director, Rifkin's Festival is Woody's 50thmovie he has both written and directed. A legendary filmmaker equal to the likes of Ingmar Bergman, Rifkin's Festival is not only a love letter to Woody's career in cinema, but it is also a statement of appreciation for Ingmar Bergman himself. Many scenes from the movie are either a parody or pay homage to Bergman's movies. At the end of Deconstructing Harry, Woody Allen mentions a new character named Rifkin as the movie ends. Seeing this more clearly as a fan of Woody Allen, I see more an more connections to all his movies as a whole collective. This makes Rifkin's Festival the perfect movie to end Woody Allen's career as America's greatest story teller and filmmaker of humor and relationships. Wallace Shawn finally gets the starring lead in a Woody Allen film after being the supporting character multiple times. It is hard not to see his self portrayal of himself in My Dinner with Andre when he walks alone in the streets of San Sebastián. He is mirroring his isolated walk of quiet desperation equal to his misery to My Dinner with Andre. Rifkin's Festival is also a departure from the typical Woody Allen movie where an older man flaunts over a younger, muse type figure. Here, the older woman is seduced by a younger man. However, the central character's struggle with regret, writing a novel and death are still center stage. What else would you want or expect from a Woody Allen movie? In the end, it's a great movie for Woody Allen fans.score 7/10
caspian1978 31 March 2021
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw6764124/35756
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