Movie Reviews for Shadows and Fog

Shadows and Fog

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Movie Reviews of Shadows and Fog

Movie Review: Little Man's Night Out
Summary: 4 Stars

I like Woody Allen's "Shadows and Fog" and I think it is seriously underrated. Shot in a beautiful B/W this surreal Comedy / Mystery / Drama / Thriller takes place in a small town somewhere in the Eastern Europe between two World Wars where a mysterious maniac stranglers the people all over the town. Since the local police proved to be helpless, the citizens form vigilance committees and a small timid insignificant bookkeeper Kleinman (his name is translated as "Little Man") is recruited to search for a murderer in the dark night full of shadows and fog. Allen parodies German Expressionists (Fritz Lang), Franz Kafka, and Ingmar Bergman ("Magician") in this funny, scary, warm, dark, surreal, and dramatic film that he saw as a metaphor for humanity, as we all muddle through the murk and attempt to find meaning. The cast is all brilliant and includes Mia Farrow, John Malkovich, Madonna, David Ogden Stiers, Michael Kirby, John Cusack, John C. Reilly. Lily Tomlin, Jodie Foster, and Kathy Bates appeared in the cameos playing prostitutes in the local brothel. I was especially impressed by John Malkovich - never expected him be as tender as in the final scene.

Movie Review: Under-apprciated Allen
Summary: 4 Stars

Another mid-career Allen film unfairly dismissed both by critics and (I must admit) myself at the time of it's release. Sometimes with great filmmakers we get spoiled, and anything flawed or less than pure genius gets maligned for being weaker than that filmmaker's very best work instead of being appreciated for being miles ahead of most of the films that get made.

I was shocked at how much better I liked this on a recent re-viewing almost 20 years after seeing it in the theater. Yes, the super-star cameos still seem a bit distracting and self-serving, but nowhere near as much as in 1992. Yes, some plot elements work better than others, the ending is kind of clunky, etc. But this is still a great-looking, visually dense film, that manages to tread (most of the time) a very difficult tightrope of being funny and playful, while still exploring disturbing themes of paranoia, guilt, crowd mentality, religion, etc. Certainly not a great film, but a brave one more worthy of being enjoyed for it's strengths than attacked for its admitted shortcomings.

Movie Review: Things aren't so black and white....
Summary: 4 Stars

This is a modest little film, essentially a homage to German cinema of the 1920's, where Woody Allen once again takes up his usual themes: sex, death, God's absence, etc.

Accomplished performances all around, with the notable exception of John Malkovich and Lily Tomlin (they both seem rather ill at ease). For what it's worth, Jodie Foster seems to be having a really great time!

This film is visually stunning, loaded with thoughtful dialogue, and, at times, very funny--no wonder so many people hate it.

Movie Review: refreshing
Summary: 4 Stars

certainly an odd movie - it had a very surrealist feel throughout, I could never quite tell if it was an old, clich? mystery, a comedy, or an art film. it had strong philosophical undertones, and all and all I think was very well done. it was beautiful, without taking itself too seriously.