Woody Allen's latest movie is called "Irrational Man." It stars Joaquin Phoenix as a burend out philosophy professor and Emma Stone as his admiring student. Time Warner Cable News’ film critic Neil Rosen filed the following review.
For the most part, since 1966, Woody Allen has been turning out one film a year. 2015 is no exception and his latest is something called Irrational Man.
Abe Lucas, played by Joaquin Phoenix, is a depressed, philosophy professor who has just been hired by a small Rhode Island college.
Once there, this troubled teacher strikes up a relationship with a faculty member, played by Parker Posey as well as one his students, played by Emma Stone.
One day at a diner, Abe accidentally overhears a woman telling her friends that a corrupt judge is about to award sole custody of her children to her ex-husband. Thus, ruining her life.
Abe believes that he could devise the perfect murder if he kills the judge. That task, of what he sees as righting a terrible wrong, snaps him out his lethargy and invigorates him with new purpose.
Getting away with murder is a theme that Woody Allen has examined several times before in such movies as "Crimes and Misdemeanors," which this movie resembles to a great deal, and also in "Match Point."
Woody Allen repeats himself here in other ways too. He plays the same track of music, Ramsey Lewis’ "The In Crowd," over and over again throughout the film. Plus he’s used that piece before in his movie, "Mighty Aphrodite." He also recycles philosopher references such as Kierkegaard, who’s also cropped up in his other works.
Has Woody Allen run out of totally fresh ideas? Maybe. But the truth is, I don’t mind Woody ripping himself off, if the end result is an entertaining, absorbing and often amusing movie and "Irrational Man," happily, fits all of those criteria.
Joaquin Phoenix is well cast, Parker Posey is letter perfect and Emma Stone is much better suited to this role than she was in Allen’s last film, "Magic In The Moonlight."
There are some funny one liners, the plot, although derivative, will have you engaged from start to finish and overall it’s an enjoyable ride.
Neil Rosen’s Big Apple Rating: Three Apples