Radio Days is a wonderfully entertaining sort of novelty store of a movie. Woody Allen fashions his film a la Fellini, carrying it with streaming events rather than a plot, and crowding the screen with the commotion of a cast that includes characters of very short screen time. Allen accentuates his Felliniesque vision of the film by putting surprising name actors, like Diane Keaton and Jeff Daniels for instance, in minute-long roles, pointing at those key elements of Fellini films like La Dolce Vita or Amarcord. Amarcord, specifically, is a film about the filmmaker's loving recollection of time just as this is. Even so, that's not what Woody Allen is interested in here. Unlike Interiors, his hero worship for other directors does not get the best of him here. The focus lies in the passionate nostalgia of his days growing up with the radio in the background of life.
Radio Days's sense of humor does actually surrender to the influence of Fellini, but not without Allen's provocation of a response more than just laughter. He wants you to curl your eyebrows in misunderstanding for a second and thus enjoy the laugh more, the best example being the radio vignette involving the sports historian who tells the story of the very unfortunate baseball player who loses a limb in a hunting accident but continues to play because what he lacked in the missing limb he made up for with heart, yet the story is far from over. Also, the very commotive Jewish family, characterizing Allen's own and including an impressive young Seth Green as the figure for young Woody, is portrayed with a loving naiveté, as is displayed so pricelessly in their shock that on Yom Kippur, the neighbors actually have the nerve to work on their house, and because they believe that they are communists and because they're making so much noise, the uncle works up the nerve to go next door and confront them, thus ushering in a shouting match with one of them, played by fellow Woody Allen's fellow Jewish comedian Larry David, who provides great enjoyment a la his perpetually conflicting character on Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Allen's Radio Days is also a much more emotional experience than any Fellini film. Though I loved Amarcord and I believe Fellini is a very good director, he is the king of dry. The irresistible lure of Allen's films is their warmth and atmosphere. He's one of the subtlest and most deadpan of all directors, yet his films feel so good and comfortable to watch even more so than many lavish and intense filmmakers. The emotional arcs of the characters played by Dianne Wiest and Julie Kavner are very heartfelt and poignant. Radio Days is one of those very warm Allen experiences.
Radio Days's sense of humor does actually surrender to the influence of Fellini, but not without Allen's provocation of a response more than just laughter. He wants you to curl your eyebrows in misunderstanding for a second and thus enjoy the laugh more, the best example being the radio vignette involving the sports historian who tells the story of the very unfortunate baseball player who loses a limb in a hunting accident but continues to play because what he lacked in the missing limb he made up for with heart, yet the story is far from over. Also, the very commotive Jewish family, characterizing Allen's own and including an impressive young Seth Green as the figure for young Woody, is portrayed with a loving naiveté, as is displayed so pricelessly in their shock that on Yom Kippur, the neighbors actually have the nerve to work on their house, and because they believe that they are communists and because they're making so much noise, the uncle works up the nerve to go next door and confront them, thus ushering in a shouting match with one of them, played by fellow Woody Allen's fellow Jewish comedian Larry David, who provides great enjoyment a la his perpetually conflicting character on Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Allen's Radio Days is also a much more emotional experience than any Fellini film. Though I loved Amarcord and I believe Fellini is a very good director, he is the king of dry. The irresistible lure of Allen's films is their warmth and atmosphere. He's one of the subtlest and most deadpan of all directors, yet his films feel so good and comfortable to watch even more so than many lavish and intense filmmakers. The emotional arcs of the characters played by Dianne Wiest and Julie Kavner are very heartfelt and poignant. Radio Days is one of those very warm Allen experiences.