1987 -RADIO DAYS, Woody Allen nostalgia

 Woody Allen reflects on growing up in Queens, New York.  A large part of this trip down memory lane is Allen reflecting on the radio programs he enjoyed as a kid.  

This is a very minor Woody Allen film, sort of funny, episodic and completely forgettable.  Allen seems to be in a very nostalgic mood.  He's loaded the film up with old music from the 1940's.  He's also stuck in some of his favorite actors from his previous films, like Jeff Daniels, Tony Roberts, Dianne Wiest, Julie Kavner and his former leading lady Diane Keaton.  

The film has beautiful photography from Carlo Di Palma who had worked with Antonioni and the art direction and production design are of a very high quality, the film looks like it was actually filmed in the 1940's.  One of the enjoyable things about Woody Allen films is that they look good and are extremely well made. 

 

The problem with Radio Days is that is is a nothing film.  The comedy in the film are vignettes with no real thread holding them together.  The film is nothing more than a time killer which at least has the benefit of being short if not sweet.   

85 minutes.