Director Woody Allen (1935)

Small Time Crooks (2000), an American crime-comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen, follows the story of career criminal Ray and his cohorts as they hatch a plan to lease a defunct pizzeria. Their goal? To dig a tunnel from the basement of the restaurant to a nearby bank. In order to cover their tracks, Ray’s wife Frenchy cleverly disguises their activities, selling cookies out of the front of the establishment. However, their robbery scheme proves to be unsuccessful, while their cookie business becomes wildly popular. As they expand their enterprise through franchising, the once down-and-out duo become ...

Sweet and Lowdown (1999), a American comedy-drama mockumentary by Woody Allen, tells the story of jazz guitarist Emmet Ray. Inspired by Federico Fellini’s La Strada, the film follows Ray’s rise to fame in the 1930s with his recordings for RCA Victor. However, after his sudden disappearance from the public eye, Ray’s personal life takes a turn for the worse. He struggles with alcoholism and often shows up late or even misses performances with his quintet. In addition, he indulges in lavish spending, womanizing and pimping. When he’s not focused on music or women, Ray spends his time shooting rats ...

Celebrity (1998), an American comedy-drama film by Woody Allen, follows the story of a divorced couple who take different paths in life. Lee Simon, an unsuccessful novelist who turns to travel writing after his midlife crisis and split from his insecure ex-wife, Robin, a former English teacher of sixteen years. As he navigates the world of celebrity journalism, Lee’s search for purpose is hindered by his constant pursuit of fame and struggles with insecurities and neuroses, causing him to miss out on multiple opportunities. As she moves forward, Robin sheds her numerous neuroses ...

Deconstructing Harry (1997) is a dark comedy film from the United States that Woody Allen wrote, directed, and acted in. One evening, Lucy hails a taxi to visit Harry Block, a well-known author in Manhattan. Recently finishing his latest book, Lucy is upset to see that her own affair with Harry has been used as inspiration for the character Leslie’s affair with her sister’s husband Ken. Enraged by this public portrayal of their relationship, Lucy pulls out a gun she had concealed in her purse and threatens to take her own life. She then turns the weapon on Harry and begins shooting at him. As he runs away ...

Everyone Says I Love You (1996) is a musical film created by Woody Allen. Djuna Berlin, also known as D.J., acts as the narrator for the stories within the lavish and inclusive Park Avenue household she resides in. This home was formed through the union of her mother, the ever-dedicated activist Steffi, and Bob Dandridge, a lawyer. The only current issue in this household is Scott Dandridge, Bob’s son from his previous marriage, who has taken on conservative views. Steffi and Bob’s two children together, teenage Lane and Laura Dandridge, are inseparable but may run into conflict as they both have feelings ...

The American comedy film, Mighty Aphrodite (1995), written and directed by Woody Allen, also features him in a leading role. The opening scene takes us to ancient Greek ruins which serve as the backdrop for the introduction and narration of Lenny Weinrib’s story. Lenny lives in Manhattan and works as a sportswriter, while his wife Amanda is an ambitious art curator. They decide to adopt a baby boy who they name Max. As Lenny spends more time with Max, he realizes that the child is highly gifted. This piques Lenny’s interest and he becomes determined to uncover Max’s biological mother’s identity. ...

Don’t Drink the Water (1994), an American made-for-television comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen, takes place in 1961 during the height of the Cold War. Mr. Magee, the US Ambassador to a smaller European posting behind the Iron Curtain, plays an important role in trying to end the war. His son, Axel Magee, is also part of the diplomatic corps at the same embassy and holds a Harvard degree. However, despite his education and position, Axel is known for being a total screw-up as a diplomat. Despite other qualified and capable staff members like Mr. Kilroy, Ambassador Magee appoints Axel as head of the ...

Bullets Over Broadway (1994) is a comedic, crime-themed film helmed by acclaimed director Woody Allen. It tells the story of David Shayne, an aspiring playwright who moves to New York City in 1928 with high hopes for his newest work, God of Our Fathers. In his search for financial backing, he is persuaded by producer Julian Marx to hire Olive Neal, the girlfriend of notorious gangster Nick Valenti, for a minor role. Despite Olive’s lack of talent and Shayne’s mounting frustration, he finds solace in casting faded star Helen Sinclair as the lead and dieting British actor Warner Purcell. However, complications ...

Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993), an American black comedy mystery film directed by Woody Allen, follows the story of Larry Lipton, an editor at HarperCollins, and his wife Carol. They have a pleasant interaction with their older neighbors, Paul and Lillian House, in the elevator. The Houses invite them to spend an evening together and during their conversation, the women share their exercise routines. Unfortunately, the next day Lillian unexpectedly passes away from a heart attack, which shocks the Liptons as she seemed to be in good health. As they start noticing odd behavior from Paul after his wife’s death, ...

Husbands and Wives (1992), an American comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen, centers on the lives of two couples: Jack and Sally, and Gabe and Judy. The plot begins with Jack and Sally informing Gabe and Judy at their apartment about their separation. Gabe is taken aback, while Judy takes it personally and feels deeply wounded. The four of them then head out to a Chinese restaurant for dinner, still grappling with the situation. Some time later, Sally goes to her colleague’s apartment to start an evening at the opera and dinner. She uses the colleague’s phone to call Jack and accuses him of ...

Shadows and Fog (1991), an American black-and-white comedy film by Woody Allen, is based on his one-act play Death (1975). Kleinman is awakened by a vigilante mob in search of a serial killer, enlisting his help. His landlady gives him a bag of pepper. Meanwhile, circus performers Irmy and her boyfriend Paul argue about marriage and having children. When Paul leaves for another tent and has sex with fellow artist Marie, Irmy runs away to the city and ends up in a brothel. There, she catches the eye of student Jack who becomes infatuated with her. He offers her increasingly larger sums of money until she finally ...

Alice (1990), an American fantasy romantic comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen, follows the story of Alice Tate. Alice is an upper-class Manhattan homemaker who indulges in shopping, beauty treatments, and gossip with her friends. After being married to the wealthy Doug for 16 years, their two children are primarily raised by a nanny. One day, she meets Joe Ruffalo, a handsome jazz musician, and feels drawn to him. Despite her Catholic guilt for these emotions, which eventually manifest as a backache, she seeks help from Dr. Yang – an Asian herbalist who hypnotizes her. Under hypnosis, Alice reveals ...

In the film Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989), written and directed by Woody Allen, two main characters are introduced: Judah Rosenthal, a successful ophthalmologist, and Clifford Stern, a documentary filmmaker. Despite being a respected family man from the upper-class society, Judah is having an affair with flight attendant Dolores Paley. When Dolores realizes that Judah has no intention of leaving his marriage for her, she threatens to reveal their affair to his wife, Miriam. In addition, Dolores also knows about some questionable financial transactions Judah made before becoming wealthy which only adds to his worries. ...

New York Stories (1989) is an American anthology film featuring three segments with a central focus on the bustling metropolis of New York City. The first segment, Life Lessons, is directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Richard Price. It stars Nick Nolte. The second segment, Life Without Zoë, is helmed by Francis Ford Coppola and co-written by Coppola and his daughter,

Another Woman (1988), an American drama film written and directed by Woody Allen, follows the story of Marion Post, a New York philosophy professor on leave from her job to work on a new book. In need of peace and quiet, she sublets a furnished apartment downtown due to construction in her building. However, her work there is disrupted by the voices of a therapist and his client in an adjacent office. Listening in on their sessions, Marion becomes increasingly intrigued by the words of another woman, Hope. Hope expresses feelings of emptiness and falseness in her life, which deeply resonates with Marion.

September (1987), a drama film written and directed by Woody Allen, takes inspiration from Anton Chekhov’s 1899 play Uncle Vanya. However, the gender roles in the film are often challenged. Following a suicide attempt, Lane retreats to her country house in Vermont to recover. To accompany her for the summer, Lane’s best friend Stephanie joins her, seeking a break from her husband. Along with them comes Lane’s bold and tactless mother, Diane, and Diane’s husband Lloyd, who is also a physicist and Lane’s stepfather. Lane finds solace ...

Radio Days (1987), an American comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen, nostalgically looks back at the golden age of radio in the late 1930s and 1940s. Set in Rockaway Beach, New York, it follows a working-class family, with fictional narrator Joe (voiced by Allen himself) recounting their adventures. Among these is how two burglars stumbled upon a radio show while robbing a home. For Joe, old radio songs evoke childhood memories of his time living with his modest Jewish-American family in Rockaway Beach during the late 1930s and early 1940s. His mother was ...

Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), an American comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen, follows three interconnected stories over the course of two eventful years. The backdrop for these tales is a series of Thanksgiving gatherings hosted by Hannah and her husband, Elliot, at The Langham. As the central figure in the narrative, Hannah’s presence ties together most events in the film. However, Elliot strays from their stable marriage when he becomes infatuated with Lee, one of Hannah’s sisters. His reasons for doing so are rooted in his dissatisfaction with his wife’s independence and ...

The American fantasy romantic comedy film, The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), was written and directed by Woody Allen. Set in 1935 during the Great Depression, Cecilia, a waitress from New Jersey, faces challenges in her job and marriage to her unfaithful husband Monk. Despite her struggle to leave him, she finds solace by watching the same movie repeatedly at the theater. Her focus shifts towards Tom Baxter, an archaeologist character in the film who falls for a Copacabana singer. As Baxter notices Cecilia’s gaze on him, he becomes smitten with her and breaks out of the screen to be with her. This unexpected turn ...

Broadway Danny Rose (1984) is an American black-and-white comedy film written and directed by Woody Allen. The story centers on Danny Rose, a hardworking talent agent who represents a variety of unconventional and overlooked entertainers. During a lunch at New York’s Carnegie Deli, fellow comedians reminisce about Danny’s dedicated approach to his clients, including the struggling lounge singer Lou Canova. Despite his willingness to take on challenging acts, Danny always goes above and beyond to meet their personal and professional needs. However, as soon as any of his acts achieve success, they inevitably ...