Cafe Society

This review may contain spoilers!

A very stylistic film that does tone well but it's horrible characters and plot cripples it from the start. I would give Cafe Society a 3/10.

The 30s period setting is very vibrant in this film, you're dropped straight into a time that has been perfectly crafted and sculpted for screen. This attention to detail and whimsical romantic treatment of Hollywood elite life allows for a very casual yet expressive tone throughout the feature. In terms of the plot itself perhaps one of the few accomplishments was the plot twist revealing Phil and Vonnie's relationship, this took me by surprise and allowed me to reengage with the narrative. The cinematography is gorgeous, what really sets it apart are the precise roaming panning and tracking shots. The editing also achieves a unique style for the film, very few films can go for the transitions that this one pulled off flawlessly.

Steve Carell, who played Phil Stern, just had the energy and the drive to portray the big Hollywood exec; Carell really pulls out all the stops by revealing an inner struggle within his character over leaving his wife for his newfound younger lover. Jesse Eisenberg, who played Bobby, has the natural awkward yet charming witticisms that were so crucial for his role; Eisenberg is a great choice for the protagonist and makes his mark upon the film. Corey Stoll, who played Ben Dorfman, was a bit of a wild card in the film; Stoll creates an intriguing mob boss character who's ironically one of the funniest characters. Anna Camp, who played Candy, has a really fun and stand out scene with Eisenberg; I found Camp entertaining as the 'first-time prostitute' who didn't really know the tricks of the trade. Kristen Stewart, who played Vonnie, really showed her range in Cafe Society; you could actually see how torn Vonnie was over having to choose between Phil and Bobby.

However the best performance came from Blake Lively, who played Veronica. Lively manages to create a character who has both the charm and the personality to remain likeable by the end of the film. I thought Lively really crafted a character who was of the era and who also managed to be vibrant while on screen, her 'first encounter' with Eisenberg is a very endearing scene. Even when she became a mother I found Lively's Veronica to be both nurturing and suited for this transition of status.

When I say this film drags it's heels when it comes to pacing I find that to be an understatement, better to say this film feels like wading through a kilometre of quicksand. There's a lot of reasons why this is whether it be the really bland narration dealing exposition and holding your hand throughout the film, or the feature's tendency to cut to really unimportant clips or subplots. Yet it's how the characters are written and the depravity at the core of the main protagonists that makes this film hard to watch, not because they are morally wrong but because it means that none of the main cast are easy to empathise with - most of all Bobby, Phil and Vonnie. The score was also a bit drab, the attention to era was great but sadly left the film feeling flat.

Sheryl Lee, who played Karen Stern, was little more than wasted potential; Lee's character was more a visual reminder of Phil's wife as opposed to an actual character. Jeannie Berlin, who played Rose Dorfman, was a very two-dimensional overbearing matriarch; her fussing and nagging just grew tiresome after a while. Ken Stott, who played Marty Dorfman, just didn't seem to really commit to his role; Stott's character felt like a drained out minor role from a 70s TV serial. Sari Lennick, who played Evelyn, gave a very forgettable performance; it felt like Lennick and Berlin's performances were just too similar to make much of an impression. Stephen Kunken, who played Leonard, was a quirky idea but as a character didn't really have the comedic impact; Kunken's diminutive character resulted in a diminutive presence. Tess Frazer, who played Phil's Secretary, is very similar to Lee in that she displayed wasted potential too; her close ties to Carell's character could have sparked some interesting scenes or dialogue in the film but sadly this wasn't the case. Parker Posey and Paul Schneider, who played Rad and Steve, were this couple who kept appearing throughout the film but lacked the presence to be very memorable; I found they didn't have much chemistry with the rest of the cast (in particular Eisenberg) which is a shame as they guided a few scenes with the main cast. Woody Allen, who voiced the Narrator, really provided some boring and hard to listen to exposition; honestly Allen didn't need to do this himself and could have found a much nicer sounding voice performer easily.