Café Society (2016)

In the 1930s, a Bronx native moves to Hollywood and falls in love with a young woman who is seeing a married man.

Director:

Woody Allen

Writer:

Woody Allen

Stars:

Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Steve Carell

7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Steve Carell	...	Phil Stern
Sheryl Lee	...	Karen Stern
Todd Weeks	...	Oscar
Paul Schackman	...	Al
Jodi Carlisle	...	Maid
Jeannie Berlin	...	Rose
Ken Stott	...	Marty
Richard Portnow	...	Walt
Jesse Eisenberg	...	Bobby
Sari Lennick	...	Evelyn
Stephen Kunken	...	Leonard
Laurel Griggs	...	Evelyn's Daughter
Corey Stoll	...	Ben
Saul Stein	...	Ben's Hood
Gabriel Millman	...	Ben's Hood

Storyline

In 1930's Hollywood, the powerful agent, Phil Stern, is attending a party and receives a phone call from his sister living in New York. She asks for a job for her son and Phil's nephew, Bobby, who decided to move to Hollywood. Three weeks later Phil schedules a meeting with Bobby and decides to help him. He asks his secretary Veronica "Vonnie" to hang around with Bobby, showing him the touristic places. Bobby immediately falls in love with Vonnie, but she tells that she has a boyfriend, a journalist that travels most of the time. However, Vonnie's boyfriend is indeed a married man that is also in love with her and soon she has to make a choice between her two loves.

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Plot Keywords:

hollywood on hollywood | 1930s | uncle | high class | older man younger woman marriage | 

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Taglines:

Anyone who is anyone will be seen at Café Society.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for some violence, a drug reference, suggestive material and smoking

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site [France]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Hebrew

Release Date:

5 August 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

Café Society

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$359,289, 17 July 2016

Gross USA:

$11,103,205

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$43,763,247

Company Credits

Production Co:

Gravier Productions, Perdido Productions, FilmNation Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Color:

Color (ACES)

Aspect Ratio:

2.00 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The 1930s stars shown, mentioned, or referred to include Barbara Stanwyck, Marion Davies, Ginger Rogers, Bette Davis, Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Jean Harlow, Joan Blondell, Gloria Swanson, Rudolph Valentino, Fred Astaire, Robert Taylor, Robert Montgomery, James Cagney, William Powell, Clark Gable, Gene Raymond, Hedy Lamarr, Paul Muni, and Ronald Colman.

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Goofs

The grand piano in the first club scene was a Sojin, a Korean brand. Sojin pianos were not imported to the US until 1981.

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Quotes

Bobby: [from trailer] Life is a comedy written by a sadistic comedy writer.

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Connections

Features Libeled Lady (1936)

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Soundtracks

Black Stockings
Composed by Ray Davies
Courtesy of Audio Network

User Reviews

One of Woody Allen's weaker projects

There is a lot going against this movie. Jesse Eisenberg's character comes off as a complete asshole within 10 minutes of the film, thanks to a really terrible scene between him and a Jewish hooker. None of the humor in that scene landed, which just made the situation really sad and uncomfortable to watch, and then kind of difficult to root for Eisenberg at all after that. Steve Carell isn't bad by any means, but he seems incredibly miscast in a role like this (not to say that he can't act in roles that are more serious, but this Hollywood film executive didn't really suit him). Both of the Dorfman parents come off as really awkward on screen and thus kill any of the jokes that they're meant to deliver. The only actor that gives a notable performance in this movie is Corey Stoll as the brother, but it's not enough. Kristin Stewart was mostly fine, but occasionally started picking up some of her infamous Kristin Stewartisms throughout. Carell and Eisenberg become really close out of nowhere, both of the couples' relationships are sped up by Woody Allen's narration (which doesn't really add anything to this film), and this movie is only 90 minutes long, so I feel as if they could have definitely spent more time with all of these relationships, instead of just having Woody tell us what was happening. And on top of all of this, while this is a beautiful film to look at, there is nothing new in this movie. It's another Woody Allen movie with the same romances and love triangles centered around white people who like jazz with a pretty inconclusive and unsatisfying ending.