September

Instead of incorporating Bergmans' style into his own movies, Allen opts to make a straight up Bergman movie. The results are mixed, but it's saved from sucking by fine performances. Although by this point it was becoming painfully obvious that Farrow doesn't have that much range.

Can't believe Woody made this one. It is a boring, justly forgotten film by one of the greats. The dialogue was awful and unengaging. It's also interesting that Woody's followups to both of his Oscar winning films have been unremarkable.

I'd like to be able to call this a dud, but it's really just an utter failure. About 45 minutes of a power outage then just stark wussy complaining--I do suppose complaining is one of Woody Allen's signature trademarks, but he usually does it in an entertaining fashion. This movie is just pure boring.

Allen's "Bergman meets Chekhov in Manhattan" template of chamber dramas becomes a little too blunt in "September". The formidable cast fails to resuscitate the characters, which feel stillborn after jumping headlong into dissecting their relationships. Some of it isn't even plausible, like the home-buyers walking in on a heated family fight and nonchalantly requesting to see the attic (if this were a comedy, sure). You can get this and "Interiors" mixed-up and still be a Woody Allen fan.

Trying to harvest without cropping, Allen sucked for the first time.

The criticisms unjustly levelled at INTERIORS can be justly applied to this movie.

The dialogue is awful, really really awful. There's a boatload of shallow philosophizing, unrealistic emotional frankness and just plain whining. The actors did not appear to be into their roles, and who can blame them? I've liked Allen's other pure dramas (Another Woman and Interiors), but this one is empty and worthless.

In order to hasten my inevitable cancellation I’ve decided to watch/rewatch the entire Woody Allen filmography in no particular order. First rewatched Crimes & Misdemeanors and Match Point - both still fantastic. Then watched this one - super NOT fantastic! A cadre of middle aged to elderly folk hang around some house for a day or so and talk about their extremely boring feelings and middling novelist careers and how they kinda have feelings for each other but it’s not the right time. SNOOZE

There's a reason this is only really remembered as "the one Allen shot twice with a different cast", and that's because it is not an especially interesting movie. Well-acted with some nice long takes, but the characters are pretty annoying and I got tired of looking at the inside of this cottage by the end of the mercifully brief 80 minute runtime. Just too static for its own good, and lacks any fresh Woody Philosophizing. The power outage scenes are recommended if you need to feel sleepy.

"I don't think it's a character I'd aspire to connect to!" http://illusionpodcast.blogspot.com/2015/11/episode-78-serious-films-of-woody-allen.html

I don't remember this film well enough to be truly comfortable rating it, but I have no urge at all to actually watch it again, which I guess tells you something.

Unlike his comedic failures, there's not a single joke here that helps this move along. It's a dud.

61.500

Woody's most forgotten film and as a result, one of his most underrated. A haunting chamber drama, with incredible performances and an extremely sharp script. I wish he would make more movies like this nowadays.

Pesado.

Wiest, Farrow, and Waterson give knockout performances, and September is philosophically right up my ally, but the hokey theatricality of the plot machinations, especially the dramatic reveal regarding the shooting, really diminishes the whole film.

God I hate Mia Farrow. She didn't ruin this because it's pretty dreary and dull to begin with, but dear god she is an awful actor. Look at that fucking poster. Why would anybody want to watch a movie with a poster like that? And by the way, Woody, films shouldn't be written and shot like stage plays for the simple fact that they're films, not plays. Blegh.

The acting is good. And the love triangle plotting works just fine. The childhood backstory I did not buy, and some of the dialogue is horrendous.

I never imagined myself rating a Woody Allen's movie so lowly, but this one is really boring.

I have a deep, irrational hatred for both Elaine Stritch and Dianne Wiest. They both have awful voices. Dianne Wiest is worse though. She has these ticks I can't stand. Spontaneously squinting in lieu of actually conveying an emotion. Spontaneously stuttering, for the same reason. Apart from what I viewed as bad or annoying acting, I didn't find the story very strong. Of Allen's Bergman films, I've seen Another Woman, Interiors, and now September, and I can say that this is the weakest.

Not often remembered. Very good, though.

There's some clunky lines in here, and the whole thing feels like Allen had a deadline and an omnibus edition of Chekhov, but the acting isn't bad.

Some great moments are together with really lame ones.

Nothing earned, nothing gained.

A writerly, stagey, aimless actors workshop that could have developed into a real family's history, alas not with a 75 min run-time and the central conflict being who kisses who.