[Update 04/11/2022: Need rewatch this film and redo this review completely. Fix
the screenshots also.]*Sigh* Another year, another by-the-numbers Woody Allen movie. It's all here: the three or four main characters; the intertwining of their lives and secrets; a few slightly clever plot twists and the safe ending. No ups, no surprises, no reason to stay awake and pretty much zero resemblance to the vitality and cleverness of Allen's earlier films all the way up to THE CURSE OF THE JADE SCORPION.
The main character is Naomi Watts. She's married to struggling writer Josh Brolin who has a crush on the neighbor, Freida Pinto. Naomi's father, Anthony Hopkins, has divorced her mother, Gemma Jones, and is now married to a prostitute, Lucy Punch. Oh yea, Naomi has the hots for her boss, Antonio Banderas. All the stuff you would expect to happen does and while I did enjoy the film, it was just dead in the water from the very beginning.
Allen hasn't gone completely in the shitter like say Metallica, but he's not helping his legacy by steadily cranking out these lifeless snoozers.
According to Box Office Mojo the budget for this film was $22 million!!! I cannot even fathom why this movie would cost that. The majority of that must have been spent on the actors, cause it's definitely not up on the screen.
