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Title: Deconstructing Harry (1997)
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| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Judy Davis | ... | Lucy | |
| Julia Louis-Dreyfus | ... | Leslie | |
| Stephanie Roth Haberle | ... | Janet (as Stephanie Roth) | |
| Dan Frazer | ... | Janet's Dad | |
 |
Joel Leffert | ... | Norman |
| Lynn Cohen | ... | Janet's Mom | |
| Richard Benjamin | ... | Ken | |
| Joe Buck | ... | Yankee Announcer (voice) | |
|
|
Jane Hoffman | ... | Grandma |
| Woody Allen | ... | Harry Block | |
| Tobey Maguire | ... | Harvey Stern | |
|
|
Annette Arnold | ... | Rosalee |
|
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Frederick Rolf | ... | Harvey's Doctor |
| Elisabeth Kieselstein-Cord | ... | Rosalee's Sister | |
|
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Lortensia Hayes | ... | Jennifer |
Harry Block is a well-regarded novelist whose tendency to thinly-veil his own experiences in his work, as well as his un-apologetic attitude and his proclivity for pills and whores, has left him with three ex-wives that hate him. As he is about to be honored for his writing by the college that expelled him, he faces writer's block and the impending marriage of his latest flame to a writer friend. As scenes from his stories and novels pass and interact with him, Harry faces the people whose lives he has affected - wives, lovers, his son, his sister. Written by Gary Dickerson <slug@mail.utexas.edu>
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Regardless of what Woody Allen may do in real life, he surely shines through his films. Just like the main character in this film who can't seem to get personal matters resolved, Allen faces the same predicament each day. He lets his films do the talking and stays away from the limelight. Deconstructing Harry does him justice in a few sequences as to what he feels and how the media treats him.
This film showcases some of Allen's better quirks when it comes to storywriting and directing. The much used "jump cut" effect helps to create a world that is disjointed from all else. When things are going fine, there are no jump cuts. However when things are less than opportune jump cuts add confusion to the scene and are used more often as the tension increases. The "out of focus" effect is the first of its kind and is very funny. The Robin Williams cameo didn't have much meaning, but his scene was one of the funniest due to him losing his touch. The same effect is used on Allen himself later in the film in another hillarious scene.
The storyline has many layers and isn't at all confusing (as others may have you believe) to the viewer. The use of actors portraying actors in this film is pure Allen genius and is another way that this film differs itself from the crowd. It is not so much that one follows along to see what happens to Harry, but rather to see what is going to happen next. When Allen needs an entourage to go to his alma mater honouring, he ends up taking a very unlikely group. The humour is at times crude and pokes fun at his usual groups (ie - ultraorthodox jews, hookers, WASP's and just about everyone else).
Allen uses his interesting techniques and smart plot to make this such a good film. One can only wonder how he always gets the foxes. At least he got Billy Crystal to play the devil. How fitting.
8/10 stars.