The movie is set up like a documentary, much like Allen's later Zelig, about an aspiring criminal, Virgil Starkwell. It follows Virgil through his many failed attempts at crimes and features interviews with those close to him. Virgil is an awful criminal who's attempts at crime again and again end in disaster and time in jail. Virgil even meets his wife while failing to steal her purse. Virgil's main goal is to rob a bank, the only problem is that the heist is scheduled for the same day as another robbery. Both groups go to jail and Virgil once again escapes.
If you are familiar with any of Allen's later films then you are very well acquainted with his type of humor, sophisticated yet juvenile (see Sleeper). For instance, to get out of prison early Virgil becomes a gerbil in a medical experiment where he instantly becomes a Rabbi. When Virgil's parents are interviewed they refuse to have their real faces shown and instead wear masks.
There really isn't a moment in this movie where I had enough of the comedy, and there wasn't a moment that I didn't laugh. Some reviews also say that the comedy is "outdated." I have already addressed my hatred of that word in movie reviews (see Seven Year Itch) and it is even more ridiculous here. Things that were comical in the 70s are still funny now, and Woody Allen is still relevant.
The inter-cuts of the interview kept reminding me I was just watching a movie and made me laugh at any idea this were possible. While the expansion of my disbelief were not completely elevated the entire time, it kept me laughing. The movie is presented as a serious documentary which adds to the comical appeal.
I don't know what else I can say about this movie other than it is a must see, especially if you like comedy. This movie has many overlap to other media today, a comical shift on the normally serious prison movies, for instance, O' Brother Where Art Thou.
If you are familiar with any of Allen's later films then you are very well acquainted with his type of humor, sophisticated yet juvenile (see Sleeper). For instance, to get out of prison early Virgil becomes a gerbil in a medical experiment where he instantly becomes a Rabbi. When Virgil's parents are interviewed they refuse to have their real faces shown and instead wear masks.
There really isn't a moment in this movie where I had enough of the comedy, and there wasn't a moment that I didn't laugh. Some reviews also say that the comedy is "outdated." I have already addressed my hatred of that word in movie reviews (see Seven Year Itch) and it is even more ridiculous here. Things that were comical in the 70s are still funny now, and Woody Allen is still relevant.
The inter-cuts of the interview kept reminding me I was just watching a movie and made me laugh at any idea this were possible. While the expansion of my disbelief were not completely elevated the entire time, it kept me laughing. The movie is presented as a serious documentary which adds to the comical appeal.
I don't know what else I can say about this movie other than it is a must see, especially if you like comedy. This movie has many overlap to other media today, a comical shift on the normally serious prison movies, for instance, O' Brother Where Art Thou.
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