Shadows and Fog (1991)

Woody Allen's 21st film

"There's nothing here." -- Roger Ebert

An ensemble cast is pretty cool, as long as each member has time (and something) to contribute to the story. I'm not sure that's the case with this film, Often times, I simply found myself thinking, "Oh, there's Madonna," or "Oh, there's Kathy Bates," or "Hm, I wonder when Shawn Wallace will finally make an appearance?" (Gene Siskel apparently had the same reaction.)

Woody Allen tries new stuff in every film, and so it's not surprising that some films will dud. This one is not necessarily a dud, but it definitely has received mixed reviews. Many suggest that the film lacks coherence and has a flop ending. I belong to that school of reviewers. Others are excited by the use of black and white, as well as Allen's paying homage, well, to whatever he's paying homage to.

Unfortunately, this is a film that never clicks for me. Kleinman (Allen) is involved with a vigilante task force, but not by choice, and he doesn't actually know what he's supposed to be doing as part of that task force. At one point, he runs into the vigilante, starts to mock attack him, and then runs away.

Meanwhile, there's a carnival that includes the Clown (John Malkovich) and his girlfriend Irmy (Mia Farrow). She wants a family, but he's not interested, and ends up kissing Marie (Madonna). Put Madonna side by side with Farrow. Who would you rather kiss?

Irmy runs away, ending up in a brothel, just as a safe place to spend the night. Enter Student Jack (John Cusack) who becomes so enthralled with Irmy that he pays her $700 to sleep with him. Seriously? Has Mia Farrow been miscast? What does Jack see in her that the Clown doesn't?

Anyway, the different pieces of the story never seem to come together, and I never found a way to make myself interested in what I was watching.

Rating: 1/5 stars

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