A RAINY DAY IN NEW YORK

US, 2019, 93 minutes, Colour.

Timothee Chalamet, Elle Fanning, Liev Schreiber, Jude Law, Diego Luna, Selena Gomez, Will Rogers, Rebecca Hall, Griffin Newman, Ben Warheit, Cherry Jones.

Directed by Woody Allen.

The release of Woody Allen’s 2019 film was delayed by controversies about the director with consequent restricted release.

It is extraordinary to think, while watching the film and its typical Woody Allen dialogue and quips, that it is the work of a man in his early 80s. And, having made a film almost every year for 40 years, there is great respect for his body of work.

Yes, this is a day in New York and there is quite an amount of rain and people getting wet. The focus, surprising for the elderly writer director, is that the central characters are aged 20 or so. Timothee Chalamet plays Gatsby (do affluent New Yorkers actually call their sons Gatsby!), a dropout from prestigious colleges, slumming it so to speak in a minor school, pressurised all his life to be a culture vulture by his ambitious mother, mainly successful at winning large sums of money at poker. But he is infatuated with a bright young thing, winner of Miss competitions, from Tucson, Arizona, Ashleigh, played with verve by Elle Fanning (probably reminding audiences of a young Diane Keaton, la di da). Actually, Ashleigh is a combination of earnest student journalist and easy airhead (and when asked by the director during an interview whether she would like a scoop, she replies “of what?”).

While the couple intend to spend the day together in New York that is not how it works out. She goes off to the interview with the moody director played by Liev Schreiber. His associate is played by Jude Law (whose wife, Rebecca Hall, is conducting an affair with his best friend). Ashleigh’s day, with Gatsby’s encouragement, is going to the interview, watching the film, getting tangled with the director’s emotions, looking for him, trying to calm him down, then finding a fickle and stereotypical Hispanic film hero (Diego Luna), who is her dream star, going to a party, drinking too much, prepared to be seduced, but, finally walking in the rain to find Gatsby.

Meanwhile Gatsby has had a day of encountering friends, some of whom mock him, another who asks him to do a cameo in the film he is making, a kiss with Chan (Selena Gomez), the sister of one of his former flames. He visits his brother who is having second thoughts about getting married to his fiancee who has a horrendous cackle when she laughs. He goes to a gallery with Chan, is discovered by an uncle and aunt – and shamed into going his mother’s social evening which he intended to avoid. Depressed, he still wins an enormous amount of money at poker, pays an escort $5000 to impersonate Ashleigh at the party, and is unmasked by his mother.

Which means then that in 90 minutes, there is a lot going on. There is a series of vignettes, excellently played, full of Woody Allen situations, ironies, farcical moments, wisecracking dialogue. And, quite an unexpected vignette towards the end involving Cherry Jones as Gatsby’s mother.

Gatsby, we realise from the beginning, has a young Woody Allen look, something of a world-weary stoop, delivers his lines in the old Woody Allen manner and intonation and pacing. And, as the film continues, Gatsby becomes more like Woody Allen and a Woody Allen-like character from the past. Is the director reinterpreting his life?

As with most Woody Allen films, they are brief, light, a stepping stone in the annual event of a Woody Allen film. But, with Allen in his mid-80s, is this coming to a close?

1. A Woody Allen film from his early 80s? The New York setting, his love for New York? Characters and situations, old and young? His perspective on young characters? His love of music, the wide range of songs, Jazz?
2. The picture of New York, the vistas, the buildings, the streets? Hotels, socials? Street film sets? Film studios?
3. The action taking place over one day? The hopes of the day, for Gatsby, for Ashleigh, together? The rain? The couple together, the plans? Ashleigh’s day, meeting the director, the interview, watching the film, changing plans, the consequences? Gatsby’s day, wandering, the former student criticising him, the friend and the film set, meeting Chan, memories of her sister, the film scene, the kiss? Ashleigh changing the plans?
4. The cast, the range of characters, their different worlds? And their dialogue, Woody Allen style, quips, comedy? Questions about life, and just, careers, fidelity and infidelity, fame?
5. Gatsby’s character, his age, family background, his mother and education, pushing him, his rebellious attitude, dropping out of college, going to Yardley? His skill at poker and winning money?
6. A Woody Allen film from his early 80s? The New York setting, his love for New York? Characters and situations, old and young? His perspective on young characters? His love of music, the wide range of songs, Jazz?
7. The picture of New York, the vistas, the buildings, the streets? Hotels, socials? Street film sets? Film studios?
8. The action taking place over one day? The hopes of the day, for Gatsby, for Ashleigh, together? The rain? The couple together, the plans? Ashleigh’s day, meeting the director, the interview, watching the film, changing plans, the consequences? Gatsby’s day, wandering, the former student criticising him, the friend and the film set, meeting Chan, memories of her sister, the film scene, the kiss? Ashleigh changing the plans?
9. The cast, the range of characters, their different worlds? And their dialogue, Woody Allen style, quips, comedy? Questions about life, careers, fidelity and infidelity, fame?
10. Gatsby’s character, his age, family background, his mother and education, pushing him, his rebellious attitude, dropping out of college, going to Yardley? His skill at poker and winning money? Meeting Ashleigh, attracted, love? The plan for the day, avoiding his mother’s party? His wanting to show her New York, her eagerness? The contrast with Ashleigh, from Arizona, banking background, winning competitions, at college, journalism, eager? Smart in some ways, ingenuous in others?
11. Ashleigh, the director, his moodiness, giving her a scoop, watching the film, his walking out, drinking, the producer asking her to bring him back? In the car with the producer, his watching his wife, the affair? The club, fighting the director, his inviting her to Europe and come away with him? Her going to the studio, the encounter with the film star, her infatuation? Going with him, being seen, the paparazzi? On television and Gatsby seeing her? His apartment, the beginning of the affair, his girlfriend coming home, Ashleigh escaping, underwear, the overcoat, the rain? Meeting Gatsby again? The discussions, her hopes, the break?
12. Gatsby, the friend insulting him in the street, the film and the kiss, exasperation with Ashleigh, going to visit his brother, the planned wedding, the fiancee, the jokes and her hyena-laugh, meeting Chan again, going to the Gallery, hiding from his uncle and aunt, the phone call? Forced to go to the social, his gambling, winning the money, meeting the escort, paying her the money to impersonate Ashleigh, at the social?
13. Gatsby and his mother, her pressures, the talk? Audiences and gas be amazed at her revelation of her past, the escort, her plans, marrying her husband, the pressures on Gatsby? His resembling her?
14. Meeting with Chan, all a conversation about her sister and the relationship? Gatsby’s future?