Irrational Man

Irrational Man-480P

Irrational Man-360P

Irrational Man-480P

Irrational Man-360P

source: Irrational Man

(WARNING: Action junkies and those adverse to heavy emphasis on dialogue, proceed at your own risk of brain lockup or catatonia at the mere discussion of the film. Any comparison between what those with such a disposition would feel having to sit through it, and the straight-jacketed, eyelids held open Alex in "A Clockwork Orange", is more than a perfect analogy. There's only one small, climactic action sequence at the end. In line with all that, a brief refresher in existentialism: "Søren Kierkegaard 1813-1855 is generally considered to have been the first existentialist philosopher, though he did not use the term existentialism. He proposed that each individual—not society or religion—is solely responsible for giving meaning to life and living it passionately and sincerely ("authentically")"--Wiki. I emphasize that Kierkegaard didn't name it; and as it's expressed in Wikipedia, his concept was very reasonable. FF 160 years into the future to what that concept, under the existential label, has been bastardized into during the intervening years--a training ground for psychobabble, making theology seem like a maze with no turns. Thus it makes perfect sense that our hapless, confused philosophy professor, seeking existential enlightenment, should assume the mantle of the title character.) If religion is the opiate of the masses, then it follows that Existentialism is the opiate of the Literati. I'm not a Woody Allen fan in any sense, but if I hadn't known he directed and wrote it, I never would have guessed so. But it's far and away the best thing he's done that I've seen inmynevertobehumbleopinion Every aspect of movie making, especially the dialogue, cinematography, story line, and the excellent casting (with one exception), is perfect. About that exception: what's with Jamie Blackley getting top billing, alphabetically or otherwise, over the other three primaries--especially Emma Stone who had the most difficult part, the most screen time, and redeemed both herself and Woody Allen after their last collaborative abomination, "Magic in the Moonlight". And who is the hell is Jamie Blackley anyway; his part was secondary, and his performance was blah at best. What's going on there, some nepotism......or worse? (Major spoilers follow) As for the moral issues the movie raises, the first, the murder of the judge, is not so cut and dried as it is made to appear. If you see someone about to be murdered and you kill the perp instead, are you not justified? If you have no other way to prevent a corrupt authority figure from perpetrating a horrific injustice (with diligent fact checking and exploring other avenues of resolution, which the story took license to assume), what would, or should you do? If you do take action, you must assume responsibility for the correctness of your judgement, and for the system resolution that follows. I was spellbound, making this my #2 movie, and most thought provoking (out of 72 so far), in theaters this year. Magnificent, 9.5/10

The second half of the movie was boring and turned me off because the remainder of the plot was so predictable. As the plot proceeded I guessed every turn that it took. I enjoy a thriller, mystery that leaves you intrigued and guessing to the end. Not so with Irrational Man. It is beautifully filmed and the dialogue is sparkling Woody. What's more the 2 main actors are superb. I thought the first half of the movie very interesting from the philosophical arguments presented by the Philosopher professor. It seems Woody is quite conversant with Modern philosophy or else he researched so as to quote concisely. As to the hilarity of the movie which others have praised, I didn't enjoy more than a few chuckles. There were not the belly laughs you expect in a Woody film.

Basically, I'll watch any film that Woody Allen makes. That said, it doesn't mean I think all of his films are top rank. His best films blend comedy, psychology, and philosophy with a good storyline. His worse fall short in one of these areas. When I first started watching the film, I thought it had all the potential of some of his better films. A charismatic, somewhat famous, professor comes to a small college. His questionable reputation intrigues and titillates students and colleagues alike. The professor (Joaquin Phoenix )is in the throes of mid-life angst and burdened by the expectations others have of him. In an attempt to recharge his life, he heads down some questionable trails. The psychological aspects of the plot evaporate into a crime drama. For a moment, the professor becomes a Raskolnikov-like character and I began to think the psychological aspect may once again come to the fore and make this an interesting movie. Instead, this potential plot twist is brushed aside and, sadly, the rest is more or less predictable. The acting is good enough, though the romantic relationships among the characters are shallow and not well-developed, making them somewhat difficult to believe. Woody Allen fans may find the film interesting enough, but don't expect another Midnight in Paris or a crime story as good as Manhattan Murder Mystery. If Irrational Man was more in keeping with its title, it would have been less predictable and more interesting.

Oh, even at 80 Woody Allen has more on the ball than the shlock Hollywood dulls our mind with. Fifty seven years ago, William Barrett published his 'Irrational Man', an apologia pro existentialism, high flavored with continental morbidity. At that time, the book sold well on collage campuses and among the high minded reading public; yet the hoi polloi didn't remain indifferent to the furies of modern life that would come from fear of atomic weapons. So, he comes Allen with a simple morality tale, wrapped in the gossamer wings of existentialism--Kirkegaard, Nietzsche, Sartre and Heidigger. The protagonist Abe suffers from temporary impotency that middle age afflicts some men. Much admired for his brilliance as a philosopher, his poor performance in bed brings affects his ability to produce philosophy, until the day he decides to plan the perfect murder. And from that moment on he is Lazarus risen from the dead, fully of energy, with his sexual prowess fully restored and a new lease on life. And then the furies play the ultimate trick on his new found hubris, for the gods of randomness are not dead, and the haphazard roll of the dice of the universe grips the loose thread that unravels rationality. Joachim Phoenix incarnates Abe, wot, with his bedroom eyes and middle age paunch. Emma Stone as his lover and adoring student is a type that is Allen's ideal...from Diane Keaton to Mia Farrow...the gamine! 'Irrational Man' has restored a high tone of the celebrity intellectual that is absent from the angry old men that inhabit the denatured universe of what passes for thought. Allen has written an entertaining script that deserves better treatment than his critics give him credit, so many light years of credit that he is distant from their ho-hum chatter.

"a man without common sense" (translated from the Hebrew title) seems like the creation of an idiot who does not have the slightest idea about cinema. But Woody Allen is not an idiot; for a Fact, he sometimes makes good movies. The film is so lacking content that can be explained by the fact that just does not care and wants only to mark "V" on 2015 as another year of the film by him, or - and maybe that explains it more likely - it stretches the boundaries on purpose. He's trying to figure out how suckers can be fans of him, and whether they could justify and find a purpose to exist this film that if it comes from another director, everyone would reject it outright primal script would never have reached before the cameras.