Deconstrucing Harry (1997, dir. Woody Allen)

Deconstrucing Harry (1997, dir. Woody Allen)

What Is It?: A very black comedy about a famed writer -- and all-around bad human being -- trying to get to an honoring ceremony at his alma mater.

What About It?: Though it's from the end of his period where he was seemingly trying to work with every living white actor in the western world, and it was sandwiched between the execrable Everyone Says I Love You and Celebrity, this poisonous little flick has a lot to offer. First, it has the most interesting editing in an Allen film dating back to his early-70's heyday, matching the rhythm of the film to various scat anthems, opening with a mesmerizingly, sputteringly furious Judy Davis arriving to "Twisted" sung by Annie Ross. Secondly, it offers a fascinatingly self-depricating, truly unpleasant -- yet still funny -- Woody Allen. To be clear, we here at The Lost Classic HQ's basement bunker have long grown tired of the Woodsters schtick, so it was refreshing and genuinely amusing to watch his self-loathing take such a pure, bitter form.

Why Should I See It?: More than a mere curiosity, however, the film offers a kind of cinematic version of the "horrid little man," -- in the words of the Official Wife of the Lost Classic -- Phillip Roth. As none of his unapologetically autobiographically-informed novels has ever been made into a watchable film, this stands as a fascinating record. All that aside, however, the film is interesting, well-written and genuinely, darkly funny.

Reserve it at the Multnomah County Library

-- ddt/pdx