Shadows And Fog

B+

I love Woody Allen. Ever since Manhattan, my taste of the auteur's works has grown from skeptical indifference (not unlike one that I still hold for Monty Python) to idolatry fondness. The man is a genius. His writing is impeccable, his direction one-of-a-kind, his acting sidesplitting. He shows great depth and range in style both cinematically and thematiccaly.

Shadows And Fog is a worthy venture into the technicalities of filmmaking, and while it has a story to tell, the plot is thin and overshadowed by atmosphere. It resembles Crimes And Misdemeanors in that it is study about life through story-telling. While Crimes collectively examines the morality of offenses by the choices that we make, Shadows looks at mortality and providence.

Allen plays Kleinman, a clerk woken up one night to help the manhunt patrol to apprehend a strangler on the loose. While wandering aimlessly around the city streets on the very foggy night, the stuttering clerk, scared of his own shadow, met a sword-swallower (Irmy) who is running away from the circus. Together, they braved the dark alleys, charming brothels with friendly whores, and the killer that could lurk around any corner.

Shadow And Fog is filled with names. In addition to Allen and Farrow, Jodie Foster, Kathy Bates, John Malkovich, John Cusack, Julie Kavner and Madonna provide support in various roles, big and small. The movie is lean at below one and a half hours, so no one except Allen, Farrow and Malkovich had any more than ample screen time.

Thematically speaking, Shadows And Fog approached the subject with delightful originality and sharp sensibilities. It is not as on-the-spot as Crimes And Misdemeanors, but this is not the same film and does not intend to be. Meticulous care was given to creating the cobble-stone streets, dreary atmosphere and all that fog.
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