Customer Reviews

Deconstructing Harry [VHS]

5 star:		(47)
4 star:		(32)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

`Deconstructing Harry', written and directed by Woody Allen, may set the record for famous name cameos in Allen's pictures, with the added twist that you have famous actors playing the parts of other famous name actors in the same movie, as when, for example, Kirsty Ally, one of the Allen character wives, is played by Demi Moore in a playing out of one of the pieces of fiction represented in the movie.

I have often touted the virtue of rewatchability in almost all of Allen's movies. After all, why buy a DVD or tape of a movie if there is no value in watching it more than once. With this movie, it is absolutely essential that you watch it at least three times to understand what is going on, as the movie freely, and with relatively little warning, switches back and forth between cinema reality and Harry's (the Allen character) fiction. In some movies, having trouble keeping track of the plot threads means this is simply a bad movie. There are things in this movie that may have been done poorly, but the parallel thread lines between reality and fiction is not one of them.

This is certainly one of Allen's two or three most highly biographical movies, the others being `Stardust Memories' and `Radio Days'. It is not even a big stretch to make the Allen surrogate character a writer rather than a film maker (as in `Stardust Memories') since Allen did a lot of short story writing for the `New Yorker' before film making took all of his time. All of Allen's favorite subjects, primarily love, sex, death, Judaism, parents, and creativity are here. Books have been written about the themes in Allen's movies. `Deconstructing Harry' could easily take a book or at least a long monograph in itself to explicate all the ideas going on in the real and fictional threads.

Allen even brings in parodies of classic fiction in his references to both Dante's `Divine Comedy' and Milton's `Paradise Lost'. For good measure, there is a short riff on Bergman's grim reaper character in a reprise from his appearance in `Love and Death'. I will not give Allen too much credit for such an obscure reference, but his visit to Hell (borrowed from Greek mythology) makes Hell seem almost like a fun place to be, even for the damned, if the damned subjects happen to have a yen for a little sweaty bondage. The reference I speak of is to the etched illustrations of Dante's `Inferno' done, I believe by a 19th century artist which provided a lot of guilty pleasures as an adolescent in the grownup library stacks.

While this movie is a thoroughly Woody Allen piece, I did get some sense that more than a little influence from Kevin Smith seems to have crept into the dialogue, as the frequency of strong four letter words is dramatically higher than in any other Allen movie. This is improbable, as Smith's first movie, `Clerks' I think just came out shortly before the release of `Deconstructing Harry'. But, the cuss a minute dialogue does remind one of Smith's favorite character, Jay of `Jay and Silent Bob' fame.

The quality of the filming and editing in this movie makes one wonder whether some of the sloppy transitions within and between scenes were not intentional. One can easily imagine that the shooting schedule was such that you only had Robin Williams or Richard Benjamin or Demi Moore or Billy Crystal for a day or a half a day, so if you didn't get perfect shots of them on that day, Allen and his editor possibly did the best they could with what they had. There is a kind of choppyness I simply have never seen in any of Allen's movies before or since this one. One thing which makes me think this obviously choppy editing is intentional is the opening scene behind the credits where the Judy Davis character is seen repeatedly leaving her cab at Harry's apartment in order to beat on him for including their marriage in his latest published piece of fiction. The differences in the 5 or 6 times this sequence is shown are almost random, parodying, in a way, the opening to `Manhattan' where the Allen character's voice over is working through various drafts of an opening line to a piece of fiction. So, instead of literally quoting `Manhattan', Allen shows multiple attempts at editing the same scene. Another intentional effect that suggests the choppy editing is intentional is the riff that makes the actor character played by Robin Williams to literally go out of focus.

The story is really not quite as neat as the two other biographical movies, even though `Stardust Memories' does contain a lot of ambiguity between the cinematic and the real. It is also clearly not as polished as most of his other movies, especially the high gloss works such as `Crimes and Misdemeanors' and `Hannah and Her Sisters'. In some ways, it has the same manic quality of his very early movies such as `Take the Money and Run' and `Bananas'.

And yet, it is easily one of the most interesting about which to spin theories on Allen's sources and his messages. I would only recommend this movie to someone who is fond of Allen's movies already. I would certainly not recommend it to anyone who has never seen or never liked a Woody Allen movie. But, for the faithful, this is pure gold, and funny to boot!

In a rare case of art imitating life, Woody Allen gives us his comedy Deconstructing Harry, where we meet Harry Block, a neurotic writer unfaithful to all of his wives, addict to sedatives, obsessed with sex and prostitutes; a man who shamelessly offends family members and friends with his books. In a jiff, a classic Woody Allen character, but darker, sadder, more isolated and more immature.
Now, on the verge of a famous University tribute, Harry must deal with his insecurities, bad habits and nerves while he begins a journey where he will interact with dual realities -the ones in his agitated life and the ones reflected through the characters of his books- and will show the audience with very black humor his incapacity to have honest relationships and his absurd excuses to defend his nasty actions. He will revolve in the deepest caves of his destructive side until literally go to hell, as never had done an Allen's character
To recommend Deconstructing Harry implies to warn you that you`ll be part of a sordid world of phobias, obsessions, fear of death, hypochondrias and neurosis, all of this wrapped up with a coat of vulgarity and repulsiveness that won't run out through the 96 minutes of the film.
It's a respectable, intelligent, witty and crude work. Here, Allen has consumed himself as an irreverent. Honest and brutal, he gives us a stellar cast with colorful characters, with Harry as the center of everything. The dialogs are quick, witty, full of cynicism, and will get as many laughs as many stomach kicks. But let's appreciate his honesty, not criticize it.
It's inevitable not to compare Allen's life and personality with his Harry: his ability to create memorable and valuable works, in spite of the scandals surrounding his life, his personality, a little neurotic and lonely. "Why can't I function in life I only function in art"...His willingness to use himself as a joke, his toughness with himself is a hit in Deconstructing Harry, even when it brings him near to self-destruction.
Allen`s creative genius and his talent as a filmmaker once again are here on the top. Just like Harry, Allen's life has been full of chaos and scandals, but he has proved, if anyone had a doubt, to be an exceptional artist. And that's the only thing that should matter to the audience.

How can I best describe the story of Woody Allen's 1997 comedy "Deconstructing Harry"? Well, I think that the film does a great job of describing itself with some of the final words of dialogue that we hear spoken by Allen's on-screen protaganist Harry Block, "It's about a really interesting character, a guy who can't function well in life, but can only function in art". This is not the first or last time that Allen has taken on the subject of creative personalities in his work, look at the jazz musician in "Sweet and Lowdown", the playwright in "Bullets Over Broadway", or the documentary fimmaker in "Crimes and Misdemeanors". But with "Deconstructing Harry" Allen seems to be at both his most self-revealing AND self-conscience as he tackles the life of a popular (but unhappy) novelist who is experiencing writers block, as well as those close to him who he has literally "used" in his work. It also seems like Allen was in a particularly dark and pessimistic mood when he concieved this piece (as opposed to say, the romanticism of "Manhattan" or "Annie Hall"), but luckily for us that pessimism translates into some hilarious darkly-comic moments. I must say that personally, I love this film and consider it among Allen's best work ever,...but I gaurantee you, it will NOT be for everybody! This film has an unusally complex style of storytelling, even by Woody Allen standards. We see Harry's life and work unfold through flashbacks, scenes from his novels, fantasy sequences, and most interestingly, conversations with the imaginary characters that he has created. Some viewers may also be turned-off by Woody's excessive use of jump-cuts in this film, as dialogue is sometimes cut off in mid-sentence, and scenes jump from one image to another. However, some words spoken by Harry towards the end of the film about his "fragmented, disjointed existence" (as the on-screen picture runs through a series of quick jump cuts), seem to be an attempt by Allen to actually EXPLAIN the film's choppy style to his viewers. I remember that when some people went to see this film in the theater (including a certain big-time movie critic!) they got completely swamped by it's unpredicable, free-wheeling narrative, but for those who are used to Allen's unique brand of storytelling will probably find it to be quite fascinating! It would be amiss of me not to mention Allen's excellent supporting cast. Elisabeth Shue (looking particularly gorgeous here!) is a sheer delight as Harry's much-younger love interest, and their brief scenes together add s real spark to the film, Judy Davis has some great scenes as a neurotic kook ex-lover who has been hurt by Harry's all-too-true work, and TV actress Kirstie Alley almost steals the show as Harry's bitter ex-wife, and a flashback to the literal END of their marriage is one of the films best moments. Allen and Alley are both exceptional in what must be the most hilarious marital argument scene ever put on film! Harry's wimpy backpeddling and self-justification when caught in an exra-marital affair is a classic Woody Allen moment! This film may not be for everyone, but for those who "get it", "Deconstructing Harry" is a great cinema experience!

In Deconstructing Harry, Allen protrays his alter-ego of Harry as an abomination, an ultra depressed, woman cheating, tap-dancing (with words), and obviously oblivious to other people's feelings persona. And yet, it is Allen's second best film in my opinion. I like characters like this in the movies, who are unsympathetic and yet in-advertantly by being the protagonist you have to feel a little sympathy after a while (how can't you when he reveals Billy Crystal as a Hollywood hating Satan, a common Jewish man turns out to be a murdering cannibal, and that there are signs that goddesses exist at Victoria's Secret?).

Here, Harry has writer's block for the first time in his life (his last name is Block as well, pun possibly intended) since everyone he has taken from his real life and "thinly disguised" isn't around to give him any ideas (outside of the Crystal thing). The bulk of the film holds flashbacks, in brilliantly edited fashion, where he recollects his old stories, the alter egos of his real life wives and relatives and so on.

If Woody had made this movie as a deep and serious self-reflection of his demons, it would be interesting but it wouldn't be funny. Here, he reminds his old fans that he can bring laugh out loud jokes and gags, most for Jewish people, to be sure, but all around ones as well, and the moment you realize it's a comedy/drama and not a vulgar piece of cinema that was thrown from Woody's chair as a backlash to the critics, you'll have fun. One of the best pictures from 1997.

You either like Woody Allen films or you don't, in exactly the same way as different personalities either attract or repel. With the same person writing, directing, acting, and selecting the music, Woody's films are definitely "up close and personal." So, the basic question is do you like this "double-talking, wise-cracking, pill-popping, beaver-banging liar" as he is variously termed by the other characters in this film?

Once again we have Woody's obsession with the interaction between art and reality (see also 'The Purple Rose of Cairo'). The story is about a writer who cannibalizes his own life and also feeds off those of the people around him to achieve his success. This mirrors Allen's own habits of 'narcissistic narrative' that is making films about himself and constantly recycling his life on screen. We know that it is not Harry Block who is hypochondriac, psycho-analyzed, sex-obsessed, guilt-ridden and spiritually bankrupt. It is, of course, Woody himself. The characters he creates, even the orthodox Jewish psychoanalyst played by Demi Moore, are merely aspects of himself.

Robin Williams plays a character who becomes blurred so that the people around him have to get glasses to see him properly. Woody wants people to see things his way, or, even better, use this misplaced desire itself as artistic fodder.

Allen seems particularly interested in the contradiction that artistic success brings wealth and fame and therefore desirability, but at the same time feeds on those closest, on those attracted by the artist's genius. Moths to the flame! This is explored to its limits as Harry becomes increasingly isolated. His ex-mistress tries to kill him, his ex-wife (Kirstie Alley) demonizes him, and even his girlfriend is more interested in Larry (Billy Crystal) a man who puts his art into his life instead of the other way round. His low point is reached when he is arrested for kidnapping his own son. This seems symbolic. Perhaps Woody feels his critics don't want him to keep using his own life as material!

Harry Block/Woody Allen internalizes his whole life and experience through the characters he creates, and at the end where they hold a gala for him, they help him reach a sense of wholeness. This is a complex, multi-layered, yet fast-moving, and visually stimulating movie. The editing and flights into fantasy keep boredom well at bay. Deconstructing Harry is perhaps the best Woody Allen film since Crimes and Misdemeanors.

I confess I got into Woody Alen's movies not too long ago (maybe some 4-5 years ago), but up to now I've come to highly respect his work, and "Deconstructing Harry" is simply brilliant.

Some top moments: When Robin Williams has "lost focus" simply WILL make you laugh with a sense of respect for how brilliant Allen can be; the conversation between Billy Crystal (I reserve the name of the character he plays, in order NOT to spoil things) and Woody Allen (Harry) is awesome -your typical male-male chat in a sports bar, maybe, but taking place in a rather bizarre setting...

The story comes down to a writer who has lost inspiration and decides (bad idea, perhaps... or perhaps not!) to write about some of the episodes of his live, putting in the open some things that other people (ex-lovers, friends, etc.) would have preferred to keep in the closet.

Anyway, I shouldn't disclose to much, but one thing I have to say: you oughta see this movie. Bt the way, did I mention, there's (as usual) an incredible cast?

In »Deconstructing Harry«, Woody Allen is playing with effects which we are not quite used to from him. You hear swearwords, see sex scenes, and you are even taken on a trip down to Hell!

Despite these surprises - or perhaps because of them - it works very well. It works brilliantly, in fact. I laughed my way through nearly all of the film.

But there is a great deal of philosophy to it as well. The main character Harry (Woody Allen) who is an author is confronted with characters created by himself in his books. And since these characters are a little more than just based on persons from Harry's own life, the border between reality and fantasy becomes pretty wiped out. Very interesting aspect - and extremely elegantly constructed!

The meta aspect gets and extra kick as one of Harry's first-person-characters becomes out of focus! A totally genius and hilarious detail! Which ends in the film's key quotation, said by Harry's shrink: »You expect the World to adjust to the distortion you've become!«

The cast is densely occupied by stars even in small roles - Kirstie Alley, Billy Crystal, Robin Williams, Demi Moore and not least GOOORgeous (AND naturally well-acting) Elisabeth Shue.

At the outset, i'll admit i adore Woody Allen's written and cinematic work. After seeing about 80% of his known film's, Deconstructing Harry is one of the most outstanding. i get a sense of melancholic (in that gin & tonic way that only Allen can do Melancholy)closure from this film. Judy Davis is, as always, engrossing. As for the DVD quality, Woody's films were never done justice on VHS. If you don't ever see this in a theatre, see it on DVD.

This is the meanest, nastiest, most vicious we've seen Woody Allen. And so much of it is directed towards himself. We certaily all know that Allen's films are very much about himself and his persona, but this one is filled with a heavy dose of self-loathing. It also has very little good to say about anyone else, particularly women. It's just a bit frightening how much vitriol Allen has. His character (a writer instead of a film mater) only seems to like his son and a prostitute.

But as the movie progresses, he gets little telling glimpses of the effect he has on others, and how this has helped make him so unhappy. Will he change...doubtful. But at the end, we feel like maybe we've gotten a fairly unsugarcoated look at how Woody Allen really feels about himself, his art and the women in his life.

The movie is really, really funny. It's extremely foul-mouthed (do not let kids near it...it makes Mira Sorvino in MIGHTY APHRODITE seem quite tame). You also get to see some familiar actors doing some pretty down and dirty things...Julia Louis Dreyfuss in a rather explicit scene with Richard Benjamin...that alone is an eye-brow raiser. The normally sweet Tobey Maguire is a sex-crazed younger version of Allen...to comic effect. Judy Davis (one of the best actresses anywhere, period) is funny as a pistol-wielding former lover of Allen's, spouting intelligent (and extremely obscene) insults at him, while slowly coming unglued.

We see a number of Allen's character's short stories acted out, and those are often amusing little ditties, although the one with the old Jewish couple is just silly. Another one with Robin Williams (as a man who is becoming "unfocused") is very amusing.

One excellent scene has Allen surprising his sister with a visit while he's on a drive to upstate New York to get an award. She's married to a very conservative Jewish man, and has really turned her life over to a life some might call zealot-like (certainly Allen does). The pain of Allen's and his sister's relationship is palpable...there's real pain on both sides...and real love. Something we don't see often in Allen's glib, cynical world.

The cast is unformly great (with one exception...in a moment). Allen, Davis, Dreyfuss, etc. Robin Williams makes a brief, amusing appearance, along with Julie Kavner. Imagine those two married!! Demi Moore, in a tiny part, is tolerable, and Billy Crystal is amusing as the Devil (yep, Allen's character goes to hell towards the end, and the conception of hell is pretty funny and pretty elaborate for a Woody Allen movie).

The exception to all the praise is Elizabeth Shue. I'm sorry, but she seemed to have spent all her talent with LEAVING LAS VEGAS. She is simply terrible in this film (and others, like THE HOLLOW MAN & COUSIN BETTE), playing the part of Allen's current love interest. Seeing Allen with all these young beautiful women in movie after movie is always hard...but they usually come across as intelligent and perhaps it is the shared intelligence that Allen and these young beauties have that make their relationships tolerable. Shue, on the other hand, comes across as vacuous. She almost looks like she's reading cue cards. The few scenes she is in totally grind the movie to a halt.

But, that flaw aside, see this movie if you like Woody Allen, and frankly, maybe if you don't like him. He might agree with you!

Getting to know Woody Allen's filmography as of late has been a real trip, and while there have been some misses for me, for the most part I have become a real fan of his work. `Deconstructing Harry' may very well be one of my favorites. The film is an uproarious look at the struggle one makes to create something, about the fact that fiction truly imitates life and that life, in its rawest of forms, is truly remarkable.

Woody Allen stars as Harry Block, a famous writer who is suffering from a serious case of writers block. While he's struggling with this artistic roadblock he is also presented with the honor of being the center of a University tribute, as the school that once threw him out wants to give him an award. Now, more than ever, Harry is faced with his own slew of insecurities as he contemplates why no one in his life likes him. As he struggles to find someone to accompany him to his awards ceremony he realizes that the decisions he has made in life has segregated him from those he loves, or at one time loved. He's been unfaithful to every wife he's ever had and has single-handedly destroyed the reputations of his family, friends and lovers in his novels. No one can stand him and this forces Harry to reach down inside himself to find the reasons why.

The process he uses is what really makes this film so unbelievable good.

Telling the story of his life through a series of short stories he in fact wrote, Harry exposes his inner feelings through characters based on himself and others around him. He explores his romantic relationships and his countless infidelities; his feelings on marriage and loyalty and even success. He tackles his views on religion and culture and family, all of which help construct (or deconstruct) this man from the inside out.

The film is littered with countless supporting actors who just devour the screenplay that Woody delivers to them with such conviction and comedic excellence. Even actors who have very small roles (Robin Williams) make the most of their limited screen time to deliver performances that elevate the films core. Billy Crystal and Elizabeth Shue are phenomenal and Demi Moore and Bob Balaban (of Christopher Guest fame) are both scene stealers. The real standout here, aside from Woody himself, is Kirstie Alley who just dominates as Harry's ex-wife Joan. She has only a few scenes, and in each scene she is ranting and yelling and throwing a fit, but that fit is seriously comedic genius, rich with honest emotion and brutal delivery.

The real star of the show is Woody's brilliant script (which really should have won the Oscar) for it is rich with wit and a truism that makes the film so much more effective than your average comedy. Harry Block is far from a likable guy, but underneath it all he is an extremely relatable guy, someone who we can see within ourselves. `Deconstructing Harry' is a smart and successful look at deconstructing ourselves.