During junior high school, I happened across A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy on cable. From that point (until a few years ago), I was hooked on Woody Allen movies. As a skinny, non-athletic, smart alec kid with glasses, the sight of a film protagonist being skinny, non-athletic, smart alec adult was huge to me. From junior high through college, I devoured Woody's movies. While Sleeper isn't my favorite (that would probably be Hannah and Her Sisters), it's still flat-out hilarious. Coming out a few years after The Omega Man and Solyent Green, Allen's satire of sci-fi futuristic films is funny, warm, and genuinely goofy. From the take on science's reversals of dietary standards ("What? No hot fudge? No deep fat?") to the mechanization of sex and drugs to the scientific manipulation of produce (the obscenely large bananas and celery stalks), Sleeper actually packs a bit more punch now than it did back in '73. Just a damn funny film.
With this being my umpteenth viewing, I think my favorite scene is when the rebellion against the Orwellian American government is trying to reverse the brainwashing done to Miles (Woody's alter ego). Miles has an "episode" and suddenly shifts into the personality of Blanche DuBois. In order to calm him down, Diane Keaton plays Stanley Kowalski, doing a spot on Brando impersonation. Hilarious.
Remember when Diane Keaton was funny?
Posted by: bstewart23 | March 15, 2008 at 02:34 PM
The most recent films where she's been funny, in my humble opinion, are "Something's Gotta Give" and "Manhattan Murder Mystery." Quite a gap. So, she's due for another funny performance in... (carry the one...)... 2011.
Posted by: Jon | March 15, 2008 at 03:02 PM