Loser Take All: The Comic Art of Woody Allen

Rating:
Summary: The meaning of Woody's movies.
Review: It might be a lot deeper than you think. Woody Allen is a fantastic artist and this book explores the artistic side of his movies. The meaning behind what you see on the screen and hear from the characters.

For example, do you think Allen's first film "Take the Money and Run" was just a silly spoof? Yacowar would have us believe differently. Right from the name of the main character, there is meaning. Quoting from the book: "The film pretends to be a documentary about the criminal hero, Virgil Starkwell (Allen). His Christian name evokes Allen's familiar associations with virginity and bookishness; his surname alludes to Charles Starkweather, a famous marauder of the later 1950s." And that's only the beginning, we learn that the movie is full meanings and messages that we may have never thought of.

That's what this book did for me and why I enjoyed it so much. It is very thought provoking. Of course, I kind of feel like Allen may have been answering this kind of examination of his movies in "Stardust Memories" when someone asks him, "What were trying to say in this picture?" Woody's answer, "I was just trying to be funny." You can decide for yourself.