We caught this documentary recently when it was presented in one of the cable channels. Barbara Kopple, a director that has made a name for herself in this type of genre, tails a notorious man whose neurosis has translated into many films about himself. Woody Allen has been on the scene for quite a while now. He has enjoyed a long career, but actually the focus of the tour is not about the filmmaker, but about the closet musician he is at heart.
We are taken aboard the private jet that is taking him to Paris. He is accompanied by Soon-Yi Previn, his wife since 1997. His sister Letty Aronson, who is connected with Mr. Allen, having produced most of the films her brother has directed, has also come along. The first stop is Paris, a city Mr. Allen deems one of the most beautiful in Europe. In fact, it is to Paris where the director always flies to whenever he goes to Europe because from there he gets himself into his European mood.
Although there were other cities in the tour, only a few places are showcased in the documentary. Italy is prominently featured in the documentary. Venice is the place where Mr. Allen and Ms. Previn got married, so it seems to be a place where they enjoy going back to. A ride on a gondola makes Mr. Allen seasick. In Milan, the couple is given the biggest suite at the Principe di Savoia Hotel, something that create a problem for the director because of its vastness, and for Soon-Yi because of the lack of hot water in the showers.
Mr. Allen has a few quirks. He will always have an extra room in order to have privacy in his bathroom. His laundry must be done just so. His nostalgia for New York, a city where he can function freely, is challenged by the new places he visits. The worst part of the tour is Rome because of a stiff crowd that seemed to have gone to the concert because it was included in the price of dinner.
Ms. Kopple has a rare treat for her fans for last. As Woody Allen and Soon-Yi come home, they are visited by his parents. His mother, a vivacious lady with a no-nonsense attitude, is not impressed by the trophies, the mementos her son received during the trip. Her ambition in life was for her son to be a pharmacist. It would have been a dream come true for her, that, and a nice Jewish girl for him. Alas, neither of those wishes came true.
The material for the documentary is excellent. Ms. Kopple gets the essence of the man, his music, and his daily life, making this genial man somebody approachable, and human.
We are taken aboard the private jet that is taking him to Paris. He is accompanied by Soon-Yi Previn, his wife since 1997. His sister Letty Aronson, who is connected with Mr. Allen, having produced most of the films her brother has directed, has also come along. The first stop is Paris, a city Mr. Allen deems one of the most beautiful in Europe. In fact, it is to Paris where the director always flies to whenever he goes to Europe because from there he gets himself into his European mood.
Although there were other cities in the tour, only a few places are showcased in the documentary. Italy is prominently featured in the documentary. Venice is the place where Mr. Allen and Ms. Previn got married, so it seems to be a place where they enjoy going back to. A ride on a gondola makes Mr. Allen seasick. In Milan, the couple is given the biggest suite at the Principe di Savoia Hotel, something that create a problem for the director because of its vastness, and for Soon-Yi because of the lack of hot water in the showers.
Mr. Allen has a few quirks. He will always have an extra room in order to have privacy in his bathroom. His laundry must be done just so. His nostalgia for New York, a city where he can function freely, is challenged by the new places he visits. The worst part of the tour is Rome because of a stiff crowd that seemed to have gone to the concert because it was included in the price of dinner.
Ms. Kopple has a rare treat for her fans for last. As Woody Allen and Soon-Yi come home, they are visited by his parents. His mother, a vivacious lady with a no-nonsense attitude, is not impressed by the trophies, the mementos her son received during the trip. Her ambition in life was for her son to be a pharmacist. It would have been a dream come true for her, that, and a nice Jewish girl for him. Alas, neither of those wishes came true.
The material for the documentary is excellent. Ms. Kopple gets the essence of the man, his music, and his daily life, making this genial man somebody approachable, and human.