A RAINY DAY IN NEW YORK tells the story of college sweethearts, Gatsby (Timothée Chalamet) and Ashleigh (Elle Fanning), whose plans for a romantic weekend together in New York City are dashed as quickly as the sunlight turns into showers. The two are soon parted, and each has a series of chance meetings and comical adventures while on their own. Over the course of a dreamy and drizzly day in New York, Ashleigh discovers she might not be who she thought she was and Gatsby learns that while you only live once, once is enough if you find the right person.
WOODY ALLEN’S ‘A RAINY DAY IN NEW YORK’ DEBUTS IN THEATERS NATIONWIDE ON OCTOBER 9th
I will start this commentary with a confession and an apology; both of which are the same. I am a huge Woody Allen film fan. I have always appreciated his writing style and dialogue as well as how he tends to make his characters both neurotic and endearing at the same time. The plot is not always deep or thought provoking but always entertaining. You know when you are watching a Woody Allen film. Normally that is a bad thing with filmmakers. We would call it cookie cutter, a cop out, or falling in a rut. But Woody gets a pass. Not sure why, but he does.
This one takes place in NY which is my favorite backdrop for a story like this. I have said it before in other reviews that the city is a character all its own. It moves and breathes with the characters regardless of what they are doing. In this one Gatsby (Timothée Chalamet) and his girlfriend Ashleigh (Elle Fanning) are spending a weekend in the city away from college. Gatsby is excited to show her around to some of his favorite places and Ashleigh has an assignment for the school paper. Things do not go as planned as Ashleigh’s assignment pulls her away for most of the day on a world wind adventure. This allows for two story lines. We watch Gatsby as he spends time with family and basically mopes around the town waiting for his girl. Ashleigh on the other hand gets mixed up with a brooding film director (Liev Schreiber), an eccentric screenwriters (Jude Law), and a hunky, heartthrob actor (Diego Luna).
The conversations Woody creates are witty and rapid fire. The characters are always talking. If not to each other than likely to themselves. This high strung chatter creates a nervous energy that pulls you through each scene. Gatsby is trying to avoid his mother and the high society party she is throwing. He talks a- ot about the social classes and the family dynamic. Ashleigh on the other hand just talks a lot. She is trying to keep her giggles and hiccups in check as she finds herself conversing with famous celebs, who she admires greatly.
The cast is eager to please and they embrace the characters nicely. I am not sure the last time I saw Liev Schreiber in a full length feature film, and it was a pleasant surprise watching him here. I must also mention Selena Gomez who shows up as Chan, a childhood friend of Gatsby’s. Chan is the younger sister of one of Gatsby’s ex girlfriends. Selena is one of those actresses who come across comfortable and lovable. It is fun to watch her character and Gatsby spar in this one.
I give the film an A- for anxiety, apprehension, and the big apple. It is rated PG-13 for mature suggestive content, some drug use, smoking, language and partial nudity. I do not remember seeing any partial nudity, but it says it is there. Woody Allen films are made for adult audiences more for theme than provocative content. The cast in this one certainly skews it more for the younger college aged than the Annie Hall fans, but still an enjoyment for anyone who appreciates Allen’s work.
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