Irrational Man (2015)

A tormented philosophy professor finds a will to live when he commits an existential act.

Director:

Woody Allen

Writer:

Woody Allen

Stars:

Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Parker Posey

2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joaquin Phoenix	...	Abe Lucas
Emma Stone	...	Jill Pollard
Joe Stapleton	...	Professor
Nancy Carroll	...	Professor
Allison Gallerani	...	Braylin Student
Brigette Lundy-Paine	...	Braylin Student
Katelyn Semer	...	Braylin Student
Betsy Aidem	...	Jill's Mother
Ethan Phillips	...	Jill's Father
Jamie Blackley	...	Roy
Leah Anderson	...	Student Giving Directions
Paula Plum	...	College President
Nancy Giles	...	President's Assistant
Henry Stram	...	Cocktail Party Guest
Geoff Schuppert	...	Cocktail Party Guest

Storyline

A new philosophy professor arrives on a small town campus near Newport, Rhode Island. His name, Abe Lucas. His reputation : bad. Abe is said to be a womanizer and an alcoholic. But what people do not know is that he is a disillusioned idealist. Since he has become aware of his inability to change the world, he has indeed been living in a state of deep nihilism and arrogant desperation. In class, he only goes through the motions and outside he drinks too much. But as far as sex is concerned, he is just a shadow of himself now: depression is not synonymous with Viagra! For all that, he can't help being attracted to one of his students, pretty and bright Jill Pollard. He enters into a relationship with her which remains platonic, even if Jill would not say no to more. The situation remains unchanged for a while until, one day, in a diner, Abe and Jill surprise a conversation that will change the course of their lives dramatically...

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Plot Keywords:

teacher student affair | professor | russian roulette | judge | murder | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some language and sexual content

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [France]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 August 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

Untitled Woody Allen Project

Filming Locations:

Rhode Island, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$11,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$175,312, 19 July 2015, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$4,027,764, 30 October 2015

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gravier Productions,Perdido Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Joaquin Phoenix's first time working with Woody Allen.

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Goofs

Rita enters Abe's apartment from a driving rain, yet her clothing and hair are dry.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Abe: [narrating] Kant said human reason is troubled by questions that it cannot dismiss, but also cannot answer. Okay, so, what are we talking about here? Morality? Choice? The randomness of life? Aesthetics? Murder?
Jill: I think Abe was crazy from the beginning. Was it from stress? Was it anger? Was he disgusted by what he saw as life's never-ending suffering? Or was he simply bored by the meaninglessness of day-to-day existence? He was so damn interesting. And different. And a good talker. ...
[...]

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Connections

References Deconstructing Harry (1997)

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Soundtracks

Amalthea
Composed and Performed by Michael Ballou
Courtesy of Apostrophe 3, Inc.

User Reviews

An expert craftsman at work

A tight script? Check. Capable actors? Check. Lots of witty dialogue? Check. A jazzy soundtrack? Check. Beautiful photography in idyllic settings? Check.

Yes, all the ingredients are there. Just leave it to the 79-year old chef to create a delicious dish out of it. When everything is right, a Woody Allen movie is a delight to watch. And with 'Irrational Man', this is absolutely the case.

Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone are clearly enjoying themselves as the grumpy philosophy professor and his admiring student and lover. Allen's script plays in a lighthearted way with serious philosophical concepts such as guilt, evil and righteousness. Also, he throws in a murder mystery and makes the suspense last until the very end.

'Irrational Man' will not be one of Allen's greatest movies, because it lacks an extraordinary element like Cate Blanchett's performance in 'Blue Jasmine', or the historical dimension of 'Midnight in Paris'. But even without such an extra ingredient, 'Irrational Man' shows an expert craftsman at work. In a couple of years time, it might just turn out to be one of his most underrated films.