Radio Days

I love Woody Allen. Period. The absolute nonchalance of his narration is just totally brilliant to say the least. I wonder why all his movies weren’t nominated for Best original screenplay and won it? I was one of the happiest when Midnight in Paris won the Best Screenplay this year at the Oscars which was quickly followed by Angelina saying, “the academy is pleased to accept the award on behalf of Mr. Allen”. And the story behind that is a different long one. Surely quite a few of my readers are aware of it. And I will save that for a different day.

I think its time that someone put together a collection of all movies written and directed by Woody Allen – 42 of them including Nero Fiddled (yet to be released) and excluding the TV Shorts. I will be first in line to pick my copy. Can easily be priced at around 20K and there would be enough and more people willing to lap it up. And how!!! Collection or not, Add Radio Days to your list of must watch Woody Allen movies. It is truly brilliant to see a man come up with such brilliant ideas from just everyday life.

Radio Days starts in the late 1930s/ early 1940s where Woody begins the narration as a boy in a dysfunctional family – His obsessions with the Masked Avenger and how he is willing to probably do anything to get the Masked Avenger Ring. From there on he goes on to describe in excruciating and hilarious detail, all his experiences over the next few years with the radio and things and people around him – primarily his family.

Beginning with his parents who fight over almost everything significant or otherwise. His Aunt Bea (Diane Wiest) who is still single and struggling to find a person that she can like and fall in love with. That includes the process of dating someone almost every day. Each one is funnier that the previous one. Then there is the story of the Cigarette Sales Girl, Sally White (Mia Farrow) who is used by a studio boss and then dumped like a hot potato only to come back after voice coaching to become one of the biggest stars of all time on the radio.

The sheer brilliance of Woody as always ensures that each character is fleshed out to the hilt. Each one is there with a purpose. There is not a single character who doesn’t need to be there. There is not an instance which doesn’t seem funny or out of place. Whether it is grandfather helping the grandmother get into her corset or whether it is the martian invasion that helps Aunt Bea dump one of her potential suitors. Each moment is magical. One of the best Woody Allen movies that I have seen. Bumped into it when I was unwell at home one of these days on TV. 8 on 10 easily. Watch it

Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi4287863833/