Deconstructing Harry (rewatch)
Posted by martinteller on October 31, 2011
Allen’s homage to (and send-up of) Wild Strawberries has its pluses and minuses. It’s interesting, and in a way refreshing, to see him being so blatantly crass. It’s one of his darkest movies, and maybe his most cynical comedy. Some of it is riotously funny, like the confrontation with Kirstie Alley in the middle of a patient’s therapy session, or his version of Hell (with Billy Crystal in one of his most enjoyable roles). But with all the little sub-stories going on, it comes off like a clearinghouse for unfinished ideas. Also, the fragmented, jerky editing (because he’s being “deconstructed,” get it?) is an annoying quirk that adds little. Still, there’s a lots of laughs to be had and it’s an interesting bit of self-deprecation combined with self-admiration. Rating: Good
