moonspinner55 Woody Allen adapted his own hit play and stars in this modestly amusing comedy about a recently-divorced film historian in San Francisco, cartoonishly insecure around women, who is fixed up on dates by his best friends and advised on relationship matters by the spirit of Humphrey Bogart in his "Casablanca" period. Herbert Ross directed, with Librium-slow changes in tempo (the movie pokes along from low-keyed slapstick to dazed romantic comedy). In her first film with Allen, Diane Keaton hasn't yet found her niche on-screen; her whining matches Woody's, but her overall personality is so piqued she tends to evaporate in the middle of scenes. Allen has stuffed his screenplay with one-liners and repetitive jokes that tend to run together, some making an impact and all the rest bombing out. Susan Anspach adds a slight edge as Allen's ex-wife, but Tony Roberts is a hole in the screen as the buddy who may lose his wife to Woody, a complication only Bogie could help iron out. ** from ****

classicalsteve "Play it Again, Sam" is a quote from the 1940's classic film "Casablanca" which Humphrey Bogart actually never said to Dooley Wilson who plays the piano at Rick's. (The closest is Ingrid Bergman saying "Play it, Sam", asking to play the song "As Time Goes By".) "Play it Again, Sam" is an early 1970's comedy-film, which began its life as a Broadway stage play, and is an interesting juxtaposition of Old Hollywood, pre-1960, and the new crop of leading actors of the late 1960's and 1970's who are quite different than the old tough guys of Old Hollywood. Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable, Kirk Douglas, Charlton Heston and many others were leading men whose roles were always the dominant male resolved to make things right. In the late 1960's Woody Allen was one of many actors and writers who explored a new take on the male persona, one who was more complex but curious, emotional and even vulnerable. He could even be insecure and neurotic at times. Woody Allen, Dustin Hoffman, Ryan O'Neil, and Dudley Moore to name a few, are male actors who probably only could have landed supporting roles during the time of the Hollywood Studio before circa 1960.The story involves sex-starved recently divorced Allan Felix (Woody Allen) who is having problems getting post-marital dates. He idealizes Humphrey Bogart who appears as a kind of fantasy-apparition to give him advice about his sex life, particularly his behavior towards women. There almost can't be two more diametrically opposed male personas: Woody Allen, the neurotic, and Humphrey Bogart, the heroic American male. The film begins with Allen at a movie theatre watching the last scene of Casablanca, quite possibly the most quintessential scene of the male hero, sacrificing a love relationship for the cause of humanity. In addition to Bogey, Allan also has a fantasy persona of his ex-wife who constantly torments him about why she left him and his sexual inadequacy. Bogey and his ex-wife are like angels on his shoulder, but one tries to encourage and the other tries to discourage.To help him in the "real" world, Allan has the friendship of a married couple, Dick and Linda (Tony Roberts and Dianne Keaton), who try to set up Allan with dates. Much of the first half of the film is a series of dating misadventures in which Allen either tries too hard to "be cool" or through some mishap the date becomes a fiasco. In his first encounter with a mutual friend, he tries to make himself out as Mr. Confidence with disastrous results. His friend Dick is often engaged in numerous financial deals which allows his wife Linda to give time to Allan. She tries to console him and set him up with more dates. Inter-spliced between Linda and his dates, Allan constantly fantasizes about things aside from Bogart and his ex-wife. He dreams of ideal scenarios with women and others which turn against his goals, almost like scenes from old Hollywood films. Then as events go along, Allan finds he's falling in love with Linda, and the feelings may be mutual.This film is quintessential Woody Allen, playing the neurotic persona, desperate to the point of exasperation. He dresses funny, he tries to be "manly" which doesn't work since he isn't. He doesn't exude the aura of a Bogart or a Heston, being a film writer. He's more of an intellectual than a get-things-done type. Throughout are the little witty and sarcastic remarks which made Allen one of the most popular stand-up comedians in the 1960's. One example from many in the film is when Dick tries to liken Allan's former marriage to a business deal:Dick: Allan, you have invested your emotions in a losing stock, it was wiped out, it dropped off the board. Now what do you do Allan? You reinvest. Maybe in a more stable stock. Something with long term growth possibilities. Allan: Who are you going to fix me up with, General Motors? If there is a message to the story, which I think there is, it is that we need to be ourselves and let someone find us who simply likes us as we are. Too often, we try to be something else to impress the opposite sex, and that's never going to work even among the most idealistic of circumstances.

paudie I watched this movie shortly after watching "Annie Hall" and I enjoyed it a bit more than the more celebrated later movie. Maybe that says more about my taste than the quality of the respective movies! Some of the comedy in "Play it Again Sam" is a lot broader than Allen's later movies but he also deals with the themes of relationship difficulties and infidelity that became a staple of his work later in the 70's and in the 80's.Allen does not direct the movie, though it is based on a stage play of his. The story is about three close friends. A married couple played by Tony Roberts and Diane Keaton and their recently divorced friend, played by Allen. Roberts' character is always busy with work and the other two spend a lot of time together and gradually realise that they have feelings for each other. The twist is that Allen's character, a film buff, occasionally gets relationship advice when Humphrey Bogart appears to him.There are plenty of really funny scenes, such as when Allen finally tells Keaton how he feels about her. The ending is also very satisfying. As usual some of Allen's writing is brilliant.A must for anyone who wants to see Allen's best work.

small45-670-264771 While not Woody's best film, it is still my favorite, perhaps because I like Bogart so much, and love "Casablanca".This comic extravaganza is Woody's tribute to Bogart and Casablanca. It is filled with great comic lines and slapstick, but carries a serious undertone in it's reverence for Bogart and his movies, and particularly for Casablanca which this movie mimics in it's story of love between Woody and Diane Keaton, who is married to Tony Roberts. The essential plot of Play It Again, Sam is the plot of Casablanca set to the comedy genre.Woody schleppy, nerdy character reveres old movies, and particularly Bogart's films. As he agonizes over his problems in life and in relationships, the "ghost" of Bogart appears to him to advise him. It's not really Bogart's ghost, but the persona of Bogart that Woody carries in his own mind. He aspires to be like Bogart, but fears this is impossible. Addressing this fear, Bogart's ghost assures him that there is little Bogart in all of us. This comment is addressed to the audience as much as it is to Woody.The final scene is a hilarious takeoff on the final scene from Casablanca, and it is rendered even funnier by Woody playing it straight, until he remarks "It's from Casablanca. I've been waiting my whole life to say it." I've been waiting my whole life to say it too, but Woody has done it for me. And in doing so he made me feel that maybe, just maybe, I too could be like Bogart.