oOoBarracuda Often times I'm asked, usually by people who believe Woody Allen acted in his films for too long, why I better enjoy the films he has a role in over the films he doesn't. I can now point to The Curse of the Jade Scorpion as a prime example. I didn't love this film; like always, I have no problem with the fantasy elements intertwined with real world events, Woody Allen does a fantastic job of weaving real world and fantasy. Despite my lukewarm feeling to it, Woody Allen reveals himself to be not unlike the human chameleon he portrayed in his 1983 film, Zelig. Allen can so effortlessly put himself in any time period in any of his films and something about it will just work. Woody Allen can make himself work in any decade which makes it a consistent treat to see him pop up in his films. The 2001 film written and directed by Woody Allen saw him as an insurance investigator who can always catch a thief until he's hypnotized into becoming one. Also starring Helen Hunt, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion is another trek into comedy/fantasy/mystery land that Woody Allen is so proficient in.In New York in 1940, CW Briggs (Woody Allen) a veteran insurance investigator is having his life turned upside down as he is being challenged by an efficiency expert Betty Ann Fitzgerald, who started her position with the company 6 months prior. The two constantly butt heads as Betty Ann wants to implement drastic changes which rubs C.W. the wrong way, as he is reluctant to change. One evening after work, the office members go out for drinks and volunteer C.W. and Betty Ann to go on stage to be hypnotized by a performer. Despite both claiming to be unable to be hypnotized, they reluctantly go on stage and become entranced. The kicker is that they are both left under hypnosis and used in a robbery. While under hypnosis, C.W. is sent on a jewelry robbery that he has no recollection of. Meanwhile, sent back into hypnosis, Betty Ann assists in some robberies, as well. Following their instincts, the two are led to begin accusing each other of the crimes even though neither thinks the other has it in them to be a thief. It's always the Woody Allen films I like the least that I notice how funny they are. Maybe that's my own downfall in that I'm so invested in other areas of the Woody Allen films I enjoy that their comedy is secondary to me. Whatever the reason, I noticed all through watching The Curse of the Jade Scorpion that the script lands every joke it launches. Even the most subtle of jokes hit their mark through the entire film's run time. I was so impressed by the period detail achieved, the costumes, the dialogue, every aspect of the film felt like it was the 1940's. I missed Woody's black-rimmed bespeckled face, but his slimmer frames fit the tone of the film nicely. The Curse of the Jade Scorpion goes to show just how much is too Woody Allen, for me anyway, because I can always find something to appreciate in one of his films.

Predrag The plot is a homage to early American talkies and involves detectives, robberies, magicians, hypnotism, wise cracks and as always with Allen's films, dames. The latter are exquisitely represented through the fantastic Helen Hunt as Allen/Briggs' nemesis and love interest, and the sumptuous Charlize Theron as the femme fatale and fantasy woman, which Allen often likes to include in his films. Add to this potent mixture the usual highly complimentary music score, and you have a film which is entertaining, beautifully shot.Allen put together a terrific supporting cast for this one, including John Schuck (Mize), Elizabeth Berkley (Jill), Wallace Shawn (George), John Tormey (Sam), Kaili Vernoff (Rosie), Brian Markinson (Al) and Peter Gerety (Ned). There's an inspired precision to this film, in the way Allen blends the story, characters and music (such a big part of creating that necessary atmosphere) that makes "The Curse of the Jade Scorpion" something of a minor classic in the Allen canon. Aficionados of the classic films of this period will be especially delighted with this one, but anyone who appreciates a film that is well crafted and delivered and provides some solid entertainment will be satisfied, as well.Overall rating: 7 out of 10.

Scarecrow-88 Underrated 1940s "noir comedy" among Woody Allen's resume, and he considers it one of his worst. As a fan of Woody's, agree to disagree. The period art direction, costumes, hair and makeup, characterizations, atmosphere, and sensibilities offer Allen fans a beautiful platform for his cast to work from. And what a cast assembled!A magician (David Ogden Stiers) places an insurance investigator (Allen), under anxiety due to a recently hired office "organizer" (Helen Hunt) who has urged the company boss (Dan Aykroid) to use outside PIs in an independent investigation firm instead of the current in-house detectives on the payroll, under hypnosis, encouraging him through a trigger word to steal jewels held by his employers (or behind security for clients to protect their jewels). It happened while Allen was attending a birthday function for a fellow co-worker in a club with Stiers performing his hypnosis act. Hunt is also under hypnosis and later when Allen is unavailable, Stiers will use a trigger word on her to commit the same type of jewel heists.How this "wronged man" plot gets Allen off the hook is most amusing, but for me it is the traded barbs/insults/remarks between him and Hunt is what most entertained me personally. I realize Allen felt he was miscast in the lead, but the cockroach or weasel insults towards someone else wouldn't have had the same impact as when Hunt demeans him. The "don't have a coronary" or "don't choke" or "be careful not to be hit by a truck" conclusions to finished dialogues from Hunt to Allen make up some of the "flirt" later to give credence to their unlikely romance and alliance later. The case that develops against Allen is damaging but how Wallace Shawn and Brian Markinson learn of his hypnotic entrapment, rescuing him in the process, proves to be his salvation. Charlene Theron is a sultry and naughty femme fatale caricature, John Shuck is an opinionated employee who works at the company, and Elizabeth Berkeley landed a plum part as a stunning but supposedly airheaded secretary at Allen's company. The description of Allen's apartment by Theron, Allen conceding to Hunt after considering her a cipher that she is worth confiding in, and Allen giving Hunt as much as he takes offer rich dialogue exchanges and humorous quips to giggle at. Just lots of fun. The setting enhances the cast and words. A sleeper in Allen's oeuvre.

ElMaruecan82 The sepia tone impeccably restores the feeling of the 1940's and the wisecracking exchanges between Woody Allen and Helen Hunt, although a bit overused, don't lack the savor of "It Happened One Night" dialogs, and like some of the best screwball comedies, the romantic undertones never distract from the gags, or make us lose their tracking. "The Curse of the Jade Scorpion", released in 2001, is so full of little cinematic delights that it doesn't really matter if the film isn't regarded as the highlight of Woody Allen's career. After more than 30 films, Allen is more than allowed to give himself a break, and although I read he considered the film one of his worst, I wouldn't be surprised if in the years to come, "The Curse" gains more popularity, as I see it, it's got all the ingredients to become a cult-classic.The 2000's were a mixed year for Woody Allen, but the recent successes of "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" and especially "Midnight for Paris" spoke very eloquently for a revival of Woody Allen's international prestige, for the fan's great satisfaction, the "little neurotic guy with glasses" still got it. But for myself, there's something that attracts me more to a 'little' film like "The Curse of Jade Scorpion" than these last Oscar-material successes, tailor-made to please European film-critics and God knows how they can get pompous or overly enthusiastic when it comes to Woody Allen, and take it from a fan. Of course, we all love to be taken off- guard by an established film-maker but when you get tired of the whole "love letters" to Barcelona, to Paris and this year to Rome, you start looking at the less ambitious comedies as very endearing little gems. After "Small Time Crooks", "The Curse of Jade Scorpion" provides another example of Woody's talent to make great little films, even greater because they remind of his earlier slapstick films before the more artistically oriented 80's.But let's get back to 2001, to "The Curse of the Jade Scorpion". The film's premise is one of these simple yet very creative ideas, like imagining a fictional character getting off-screen and discovering the real life or a man meeting at midnight the writers and artists that made Paris' history. Woody Allen wondered what if someone could get hypnotized in order to commit a crime and not remembering it, what if this guy gets involved in the investigation. From a simple comedic premise based on the idea of a perfect crime, the other elements of the story come up very naturally, what if the hero is an insurance investigator? How to make the curse start? How about a stage hypnotist show? Then what best way to prove that it works by taking two persons strongly hating each other, and then through the magical power of hypnosis, they suddenly falls in love. Bingo, you have your romantic subplot, the perfect crime, and the design to remind of the Golden Age of film-noir.Woody Allen is C.W. Briggs, a talented insurance investigator and Helen Hunt is Betty Ann Fitzgerald, the new efficient expert, she's sometimes too sophisticated or too modern to be believable as a woman of the 40's, even if her performance is meant to remind of Rosalind Russell or Katharine Hepburn, but anyways. Fitz and Briggs hate each other so much that we know that they would end up together, although she's closer to Barbara Stanwyck than he is to Fred MacMurray. The reference to "Double Indemnity" is more than intentional, but would you imagine Edward G. Robinson involved in a romance? Well, I can buy anything a movie would if as a screwball comedy, it provides the right laughs. Although the scenes are unequally funny, "The Curse of the Jade Scorpion" benefits from great casting, Dan Aykroyd and Wallace Shawn play their part with nuance and a little comedic something I couldn't put my finger in, even Elizabeth Berkeley was believable as the sexy secretary. But it's Charlize Theron that provides the best bits of dialog with Allen, as the obligatory femme-fatale.And then there's the plot, both Briggs and Fitz can be 'programmed' when they hear two magical words, respectively 'Constantinople' and 'Madagascar'. When Briggs hears 'Constantinople', he instantly gets under the hypnotist's control and executes any of his orders, which all of them include stealing and hiding jewels. It works as a great running gag, carried by a catchy guitar music, the little tone that sticks in your mind after the film ends, you may think it's a detail but the enjoyment of a film is made of little details you wouldn't suspect. And that's probably why some reviewers were more severe about the film, while it was good in our book, by Allen's standards, it could have been better. I also think the film would have fit a shorter length or that some parts were redundant while the resolution was a bit too abrupt, well, I can't disagree with these reactions. I also think there was much more to do with the magical words, but again saying a film could have been better doesn't make it bad. Indeed, even a filmmaker like Woody Allen is not committed to perfection, and "The Curse of the Jade Scorpion" remains enjoyable from beginning to start. Perhaps, my only regret is that Woody Allen didn't make the film earlier when he was at the top of his game in terms of writing and acting. He had a fabulous chemistry with Helen Hunt, but even for Woody Allen, it's difficult not be distracted by their age difference. Briggs was a bit too old, and I'm sure the film, had it been written in the 70's would have featured smarter jokes, hell, I can even imagine Diane Keaton playing in Helen Hunt's part. Still a good film, with a great casting, great design and great use of music.