If you take the time to count, “Rifkin’s Festival” is the 49th feature film by writer and director Woody Allen. Although the comedy hit the theaters in Spain in 2020, last year American fans of the great filmmaker had to wait. And wait. And wait. At long last, “Rifkin’s Festival” is playing in movie theaters and on streaming services. For those who love the man’s work, the delay only added to the anticipation.
Part of what makes Woody Allen movies so captivating is the historic or beautiful place he chooses to film. This time it’s in San Sebastián, Spain which is also the setting for the story. This was a return to Spain as a filming location for Allen, which was the setting for “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” that came out in 2008.
“Rifkin’s Festival” features an international cast
“Rifkin’s Festival” stars Wallace Shawn as the somewhat snobbish film critic and teacher Mort Rifkin and Gina Gershon plays his wife Sue. Somewhat predictably, Mort’s wife is younger than him and their relationship is unraveling.
Mort’s wife Sue is a publicist working on-location at a film festival in San Sebastián, Spain. Mort has been brought along. Her client is a pretentious and vapid French director named Philippe who is played by French actor Louis Garrel.
Mort suspects his wife may be involved with the guy, who he finds utterly annoying. He ends up meeting and becoming infatuated with an attractive medical doctor named Joanna, “Jo” Rojas played by Spanish actress Elena Anaya. I hadn’t seen Anaya, but she gave an impressive performance.
Wallace Shawn as Mort Rifkin epitomized the “Woody Allen” character
Mort Rifkin, as played by Wallace Shawn epitomized the so-called “Woody Allen” character. A few actors have played that character well. Owen Wilson and Larry David come to mind, but Wallace Shawn surpasses them. He plays that specific neurotic, slightly peculiar guy so well. His own personality and range as an actor fit that character. Allen has used the actor a lot. Shawn has been in five other Woody Allen films: “Manhattan” “Radio Days,” “Shadows and Fog,” “The Curse of the Jade Scorpion,” and “Melinda and Melinda.”
The supporting actors are a great part of “Rifkin’s Festival”
A movie can be made better by the actors who only appear on-screen briefly. “Rifkin’s Festival” has some great scenes with Steve Guttenberg and Richard Kind. I appreciate Richard Kind and believe he is under-rated. Austrian actor Christoph Waltz is bewitching as “Death” personified, in a scene that is a parody of “The Seventh Seal” directed by Ingmar Bergman.
How does “Rikfin’s Festival” compare to Allen’s recent films?
So, how does “Rifkin’s Festival” stack up when compared to the recent Woody Allen movies? It’s better than “Magic in the Moonlight,” “Irrational Man,” “Café Society,” “Wonder Wheel” and the penultimate “A Rainy Day in New York.” The only film from Woody Allen of the last 10 years that I think is better is “Blue Jasmine” that came out in 2013.
A wish of mine is to see Woody Allen on the big screen in one of his own, at least once more. It’s been 10 years since Woody appeared in one of his own movies if you don’t count the mini-series “Crisis in Six Scenes.” Even in a supporting role, I would so love to see that. Many of his acting performances are undervalued. Woody can be electrifying on the screen.
Woody Allen continues his tradition of excellence with “Rifkin’s Festival.” It exemplifies everything that makes a movie great, from the dialogue and storyline to the performance of the actors. The evocative music featured, composed by jazz guitarist Stéphane Wrembel is sublime. “Rifkin’s Festival” offers those who watch, something that is missing from so much in cinema.
The film has many homages to the classics
You’ll notice “Rifkin’s Festival” includes many homages to directors like Ingmar Bergman, Federico Fellini, Orson Welles, and others. His lifelong fascination with the timeless classics is evident, and “Rifkin’s Festival” is not just another one of Woody’s movies. As my good friend and movie buff John Paradise remarked to me: “The movie itself is almost blatantly a commentary on Woody Allen’s movies.”
Woody Allen’s greatness is perhaps because of his abiding love for the art form. In many respects, this is a love letter to great cinema.
True, Woody Allen has his motifs. “Rifkin’s Festival” is replete with plenty of the auteur’s themes and stylistic trademarks. Like many of the director and writer’s main characters, Mort Rifkin is always asking the big questions. Especially about life’s meaning or its meaninglessness. As one dreamlike character tells Rifkin: our striving and effort, even when futile, is good for us.
Woody Allen is the modern-day Charlie Chaplin
The late talk show legend Joe Franklin once described Woody Allen to me in this way: “He’s the modern-day Charlie Chaplin, I guess.” Who else still around comes close to that description among American filmmakers?
Certainly, some greats come to mind. Coppola. Scorsese. Spielberg. Brilliant as they may be, none of them have played such an involved and major part in so many stages of filmmaking: writing, directing, and acting. And in terms of abundance of work, he’s in a class of his own.
I find Woody Allen heroic. At 86-years-old, he continues to create great work like “Rifkin’s Festival,” competing only with himself. Despite the current climate of cancel culture, film lovers around the world anxiously await his 50th movie. I’ll be watching.
Special thanks to John G. Paradise.
Title: Rifkin’s Festival
Director: Woody Allen
Writer: Woody Allen
Production Company: Gravier Productions
Release dates: September 18, 2020 and October 2, 2020
