2. Radio Days (Written and directed by Woody Allen, 1987)

3. Yentl (Written and directed by Barbara Streisand, 1983)

4. Fiddler on the Roof (Directed by Norman Jewison, 1971)

5. Dirty Dancing (Directed by Emile Ardolino, 1987)

6. Crossing Delancey (Directed by Joan Micklin Silver, 1988)

7. Brighton Beach Memoirs (Written by Neil Simon, 1986)

8. Ushpizin  (Directed by Giddi Dar, 2004)

9. Annie Hall (Written and directed by Woody Allen, 1977)

10. Schindler’s List (Directed by Steven Spielberg, 1993)

11. The Chosen (Written by Chaim Potok, 1981)

12. Sophie’s Choice (Written and directed by Alan J. Pakula, 1982)

13. The Jazz Singer (Directed by Richard Fleischer, 1980)

14. Marathon Man (Directed by John Schlesinger, 1976)

15. Raid on Entebbe (Directed by Irvin Kershner, 1976)

16. Liberty Heights (Written and directed by Barry Levinson, 1999)

17. The Pianist (Directed by Roman Polanski, 2002)

18. To Be or Not to Be (Directed by Alan Johnson, 1983)

19. The Frisco Kid (Directed by Robert Aldrich, 1979)

20. Blazing Saddles (Written and directed by Mel Brooks, 1974)

21. Inglorious Bastards (Written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, 2009)

22. Shalom Aleichem

23. School Ties (Directed by Robert Mandel, 1992)

24. History of the World (Written and directed by Mel Brooks, 1981)

25. Europa, Europa (Directed by Agnieszka Holland, 1990)

26. Life is Beautiful (Written and directed by Roberto Benigni, 1997)

27. The Hebrew Hammer (2003)

28. Lies My Father Told Me (1975)

29. Enemies a Love Story (Directed by Paul Mazursky)

30. When Harry Met Sally (Written by Nora Ephron, Directed by Rob Reiner, 1989)

I leave you with this classic line from Annie Hall to mull over:

Alvy Singer: Don’t you see the rest of the country looks upon New York like we’re left-wing, communist, Jewish, homosexual pornographers? I think of us that way sometimes and I live here.

Photo Credit: Philippe Antonello/Sony Pictures Classics

Last night, as we were getting comfortable in our seats right before a showing of Woody Allen’s latest film, To Rome with Love, an usher strolled down the aisle to make an announcement:

“Welcome, everyone.  You’re about to see something by Woody Allen.  I’m sure it’s not as good as his earlier work.  But hey – you paid for it.”

My husband and I laughed.  Personally, I never care about the reviews of Woody’s films, nor do I tend to disagree with the negative feedback.  I’ve seen every single one of his films and pretty much loved them all.  They are one of my greatest pleasures in life and I am rarely disappointed.

For anyone to knock this film, they clearly don’t get his sense of humor or what moves and motivates his writing style.  First of all, Rome is captivating and the center piece of this film.  Rome is a picturesque city full of interesting people, and Allen has scripted stories about a group of them, throwing in his natural affinity for serendipity, romance, fear of death, Freud and psycho-analysis and take on Hollywood and stardom.  Secondly, Allen, who we know is not a fan of Hollywood, uses this film to mock the industry, weaving in aspects of what he loathes about it in each story line.

In one story, what appears to be the one with the most screen time, we have a young American architectural student living in Rome, played by Jesse Eisenberg, who meets a famous architect, played by Alec Baldwin, early in the film.  Baldwin becomes his imaginary romantic advisor, much like Humphrey Bogart in Play It Again Sam, as he navigates the troubled waters of getting involved with two women, played by Greta Gerwig, a sensible student, and Ellen Page, an actress on hiatus from working in Hollywood films.  Eisenberg is clearly a young Allen ingenue, something I’m not sure I like or not.  His inflections, his mannerisms – it’s all so Woodyesque that it’s too much at times.  Page is the actress who appears to want more than her fluffy Hollywood life, but in the end, her decision is swayed by the glam and prospect of stardom.

Then we have a scenario that includes Allen himself.  He plays a retired opera director visiting Rome with his wife, played by the fab Judy Davis, to meet his daughter, played by Alison Pill who is clearly one of his new faves as we just saw her in Midnight in Paris, and her Italian fiancee.  When he discovers that her future father-in-law has an knack for opera (he hears him singing through the door of the bathroom as the man is showering and belting out Verdi at the top of his lungs), he becomes obsessed with making the man famous.  What unfolds is slapstick comedy full of Freudian slips.  Allen is a man who fears death and retirement (like in real life) and the fact that he hasn’t made his mark (perhaps I have too much in common with the man).

The other two stories are in Italian and keep you on your toes.  One is about a young couple from the Italian countryside who come to Rome to enter the family business.  After they check into their hotel, she decides to get her hair done.  When she can’t find the salon (Rome is clearly a city where when you ask for directions, they go on and on and on and on…), she ends up at in first in the arms of an Italian celebrity and then a burglar.  He, on the other hand, ends up in the arms of a hooker, played by the marvelous Penelope Cruz.

The last storyline is one of the funniest starring Roberto Benigni (clever casting, Juliet!) about a normal, everyday man who wakes up one day and is suddenly transformed into a celebrity and mobbed by the paparazzi outside his own house. What ensues is a hilarious take on American’s infatuation with Hollywood stars.  He is rushed to a TV studio to get interviewed on what he had for breakfast and women start to fall at his feet, telling him they can make love because there are no longer any rules when you have fame.  I found Roberto’s scenes hilarious and he has such a knack for comedy, and I have such fond memories of him performing in Life is Beautiful.

All in all, I really liked To Rome with Love.  Not one of Woody’s best, but like I said, his yearly productions are what makes my heart sing and they will continue to make my heart sing for as long as I have them.  “Don’t psychoanalyze me! Many have tried. All have failed,” Woody tells Davis in the film – one of it’s best lines.  Don’t worry, Woody, I won’t.  But thanks for helping me to psychoanalyze myself.

Disclosure: All opinions expressed are my own and I have had no contact with the studio or anyone associated with this film.

And indeed it was.  We got dressed up, a rarity in my house.  We went into Manhattan on a Monday night, another rarity for us.  We entered the most lavish hotel and were shown to the cafe where we were treated like 5th Avenue residents.  With the cover noted as $135 per person, you would expect it to be full of people in mink coats.  And that’s who was there. Fortunately, they do allow standing room only for a much lower price, and film students and younger people came in at the show’s start and lined the walls.

I was one of the many seated to hear Woody Allen live in person, and our view was impeccable.  We splashed out, ordered a bottle of wine and enjoyed the night.  At approximately 8:35pm, Woody walked in to join his band and I buzzed with excitement.

For years, he has been playing New Orleans Jazz Band with his band on Monday nights. I’m not particularly a Dixieland Jazz fan, but put Woody Allen in the band and I’m more than interested. They played just over an hour and my ears and eyes were fixated on my film hero and I grooved to the beat.  It was a phenomenal night and one that I will never forget. For your viewing pleasure, here are a few videos I shot:

I highly recommend that you go see Woody and his band now.  It will cost you a pretty penny, and make sure you are prepared so that you dont’ have the shock of your life when the bill comes.  For me, seeing Woody play was on my bucket list and now I can cross it off. And Woody, good luck on Sunday night! I’ll be rooting for you.

Disclosure: I covered all my own expenses for this experience.

But it was the combination of writers that intrigued me and I was curious how their works would unfold and come together. Woody Allen, Elaine May and Ethan Coen are 3 brilliant writers and each is a master of dysfunctional relationships.  Each mini play explores a different type of problem that only occur in families.  The cast of Talking Cure, in which Ethan Coen “uncovers the sort of insanity that can come only from family”.  It’s about an inmate in a mental institution who is trying to uncover his problem by talking to a doctor.  The conversation goes on and on and he basically tells the therapist that “your parents f–k you up!” At the end of the act, we learn that his family led to his demise, or so he thinks.  As they argue in a flashback from the past, his mom yells at his dad, “Hitler is your answer to every argument!”  While definitely interesting, particularly with the focus on Hitler at the end, the following two acts are definitely funnier, and I’m praying that my childhood doesn’t f-k me up.  Maybe it hit to close to home.

The cast of George is Dead, in which Elaine May “explores the hilarity of death,” comprises Lisa Emery, Allen Lewis Rickman, Patricia O’Connell, Grant Shaud and Marlo Thomas.  Marlo Thomas plays a woman who deals with her husband’s death at the start of the act and wanders into her former nanny’s daughter’s apartment to start the grieving process.  She is clearly a woman who has been waiting for her husband to die: “I thought I would miss him.  he was so boring!”  She starts to talk about her potential new husband and declares herself as “free”, but as the play progresses and chaos ensues between her friend and husband leading to the actual funeral, she begins to grieve.  Marlo Thomas is superb in this role.  She and May have worked together before, and I am sure that May must have written this role with Thomas in mind.

The cast of Honeymoon Motel, in which Woody Allen “invites you to the sort of wedding day you won’t forget,” features Caroline Aaron, Bill Army, Mark Linn-Baker, Ari Graynor, Steve Guttenberg, Julie Kavner, Jason Kravits, Richard Libertini and Grant Shaud.  It’s comedy that is reminiscent of Noel Coward.  The act starts out in a tacky motel room with a couple direct from their wedding, clearly in a state of bliss.  With a knock on the door, we learn that the “groom” is actually the real groom’s father who stole the young bride.  The rest of the play is 30 minutes of chaos and I loved seeing so many wonderful actors on stage.  And, of course, Woody Allen never lets me down.  His script is full of funny one-liners and jokes that led to one laugh after another.

Meet the stars of the show here:

Visit www.relativelyspeakingbroadway.com for more information on performances and tickets.

Disclosure: I paid for my own tickets to this show.

Her book is a beautiful salute to her mother, Dorothy Hall.  She took her sacred journals, scrapbooks, letters and phone messages and carefully organized them, weaved within her own thoughts, and created the biography her mother was never able to write.  She fulfilled her mother’s mission and dream, but not until after her mother’s death.

Her mother was born in a generation that was expected to stay home with her children, but she always wanted more.  She was a feminist in her own right and she was a creative thinker, a master of collages, recording her thoughts and photography.  But she herself went back to school at age 40 to become a teacher and was an inspiration.  Keaton mentions that if her mom was the one to achieve the kind of fame she, herself, did in life, she would have hated sharing her with the world. She knew her mom was unique and stayed close to her until the end of her life.

It is clear that Dorothy’s love of the arts and goodness in her heart rubbed off her daughter.  She loved following Keaton’s fame and she recorded in a book where she kept newspaper clips, photos and stories.  Growing up, she encouraged each of her four children to be and do anything they desired. She never let their success in life spoil her own life or voice any regrets in her own.  In her letters to her husband or Keaton, she was always grateful and strived to make the most of each day.  Keaton embraced both her parents and kept them very involved in her career from the start.  But her greatest memory is of having her dad see and hear her sing in Mata Hari in high school, she has never forgotten his reaction to her performance: “I could tell he was startled by his awkward daughter – the one who’d flunked algebra, smashed into his new Ford station wagon with the old Buick station wagon, and spent half an hour in the bathroom using up a whole can of Helene Curtis hairspray.  For one thrilling moment, I was his Seabiscuit, Audrey Hepburn, and Wonder Woman rolled into one.  I was Amelia Earhart flying over the Atlantic.  I was his heroine.”

We do learn a lot about Keaton’s world, as well as some of her secrets.  We learn that the real family, her family, behind Annie Hall, didn’t mind Woody’s interpretation, and that they were extremely proud of her Oscar. I have already mentioned her self doubt, and the book explores that part of her life, as well as her therapy.  While living with Woody Allen, during a time without work, she went five days a week.  We also learn that she was bulimic for five years.  I related to her struggle, as I once suffered anorexia, and the talking cure worked for me, too.  During that time, she lived in isolation and fear.  Strangely enough, it was during her relationship with Allen and he didn’t know.  Her only reason for telling is to “be released from the burden of hiding.”

Through her writings, Keaton is able to figure out why she parents a certain way, why she loves a certain way.  Her mother loved one man, her husband, to whom she was married to until his death.  Diane loved three men – Woody Allen, Warren Beatty and Al Pacino. And we hear about each romance, and each tale is told neatly without anything to be cleaned up. She still has great respect and compassion for each man, and I am sure that writing about these romances was somewhat cathartic.

As talented as Keaton is, and as much fame as she has achieved as an actress, director, photographer, she decided in her early 50s that she didn’t want to die alone.  She adopted two children, Dexter and Duke, who she adores and has carved out a new life for herself in her second chapter of life. As much as I can relate to her love for her mother, I can also relate to her style of mothering.  She believes in open communication and providing them with as wonderful a life as possible as a single mom.  She writes letters to her children, just as her mother did when she was a girl, and here is how she verbalizes her hope for her daughter in one: “You’ll have your independence, just as Mother gave me mine.  In return, let’s cut a deal. Promise me you’ll be the kind of woman who has empathy for others…stay human, sweetie, stay human.” 

I was sad to see this book end.  Of course, I also liked the inside scoop on some of her leading men, but she also taught me a thing or two about her own life and I thought about my own in the process.  It’s also a tale of aging with grace, and I can’t think of a better example than Diane Keaton.

Disclosure: This book was published by Random House.  I purchased my copy of this book and all opinions are my own.

Source: NYT

Just when I was about to give up completely on summer television comes along a fab new Internet only show on AMCTV.com called The Trivial Pursuits of Arthur Banks.  It’s very Woody Allen, very Freudian.  It’s a homage to Allen, who I adore, not only because it uses narration and black and white video, but also because it’s about an actor/writer (played skillfully by Adam Goldberg) who is having an affair with a young protege.  He feverishly tries to sort out his life, while writing bits of it into his scripts.  His therapist, played by Jeffrey Tambor, adds the perfect neurotic touch and even the music is a la Woody.

The episode that I watched tonight is 12 minutes long and is called “I Pulled a Polanski” and was right up my alley.  If the writers weren’t channeling Woody’s fact and fiction, I’m not sure whey they got their ideas, but it was funny, poignant and I definitely want to keep watching.  Besides, I need summer material.  Check it out on Hulu.

Midnight in Paris

Don’t you love the poster for Woody Allen’s newest film, Midnight in Paris? Owen Wilson walking the streets of Paris under Vincent van Gogh’s painting, Starry Night.  It’s seriously one of the most charming film posters I have ever seen.  But I have to admit I am partial to just about anything Allen creates.  A long time fan of all his films, this one is no exception. Each one is a journey into film, theater, history and relationships in a city that I love.

For a long time his focus was New York City, and over the last few years, it’s been London, Barcelona and now Paris.  The opening of this film is reminiscent of his montage opening of Manhattan, where he zeroed in on beautiful shots of NYC with Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue in the background.  It was a real salute to the a city that Allen knows how to capture perfectly and light up.

He does the same thing with Paris in this film. It’s almost as though he lived there for a while, studied it and fell madly in love with it.  The opening scene is a 4-minute salute to the city’s magic.  Paris is a major character in this film, much like NYC was one in all his early films.  Owen Wilson’s character spends a lot of time roaming the streets of Paris, and the main characters spend much of the early part of the film exploring the city’s landmarks and gardens.  After seeing it, I have to admit that I have a desperate yearning to flee to Paris and perhaps spend the rest of my life there.  It has that kind of effect on you.

The film is about a Hollywood screenwriter who has had his share of success writing for big studios.  On a visit to Paris with his fiancee’ and her parents, he is in the midst of writing a novel about time travel – a man who works in a “nostalgia store”.  Owen Wilson plays the lead role in particular Woody Allen fashion.  He speaks a certain way, he acts a certain way, that is very Woody Allenesque, and really pulls it off.  We kind of get the feeling that he’s not completely satisfied with his life when he gets to Paris. He has awkward conversations with his future father-in-law.  He doesn’t always want to hang out with the same people his fiancee wants to hang out with.  He really wants his novel to be a success and is constantly mulling over its plot, and his fiancee just wants him to get over it, move on and go back to his studio life in Hollywood so they can live a luxurious life.  He wants to find meaning in his life.

So, while his fiancee’ is off dancing and enjoying Paris’ night life, he strolls through the streets of Paris.  One night, while sitting on a step, after getting lost and unsure of how to get back to his hotel, a car stops and giddy, drinking people tell him to get in.  A bit drunk from the wine he’d been drinking all night, he gets in the car and is whisked away to a party where he meets the likes of Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald with wife Zelda, Cole Porter, Salvador Dali, Luis Bunel, Man Ray, Henri Matisse, Henri de Toulosse- Lautrec, Pual Gaugin, Edgar Degas and Pablo Picasso. He also meets Gertrude Stein, who offers to edit his book.  When he goes back to tell his fiancee about his experience, she doesn’t believe him, and he continues to spend his evenings with all his heroes (and ours).  He also falls for a fashion designer, who is also Picasso’s lover, and he learns a thing or two from her about finding happiness in the present.

I won’t tell you much more about the plot, but I will say that I liked the ending.  It’s not your typical Hollywood ending and the character does make a choice based on his experience going back in time.  As always, Allen and his casting director, Juliet Taylor, cast a very interesting group of actors in this film, many of whom I hadn’t seen before in this movies: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates (as Gertrude Stein), Corey Stoll (as Hemingway), Adrien Brody (who dons a mustache as Salvador Dali, Carla Bruni as a  museum guide (not my favorite performance in the film), Marion Cotillard, Michael Sheen, Tom Hiddleston (as F. Scott Fitzgerald), Alison Pill (as Zelda Fitzgerald).

Needless to say, I was not disappointed by Midnight in Paris.  I never am with Allen’s films and I’m already waiting eagerly for the next one.  Meanwhile, I’ve just got to find a copy of that poster for my house.

Disclosure: I was not compensated to write this review and all opinions expressed are my own.

When I can’t watch the news anymore because it’s just too disturbing, I take a very deep breath and focus on what I have to be thankful for and what I can do to help those in need.

Once I became a mom, I struggled to watch the news. It upset me in a way it never had before. I’ve talked with other moms who have the same reaction. I used to be a news junkie, with CNN on in my office. Now, I can barely watch the lead story before I switch channels.

I do better with the newspaper. I love the New York Times for it’s brilliant writing, clever headlines and of course, the Style Section. When I’m feeling stressed about global events and human suffering, I start reading the Style Section and gradually make my way through the paper. After the Wedding Section—after all, who doesn’t want to see which well-to-do, Ivy League couples are tying the knot this week?—I turn to the Week In Review. It’s a bit more palatable than the Front Page, which is all hard news, bleak and complete with above-the-fold photos starkly illustrating a gruesome story.

By the time I’ve gathered up the nerve to read the Front Page, I’m generally ready to handle the harsh reality of overnight events. I read it because that’s what a well-informed mom does. If my kids have questions, I want to be up-to-date with the latest information I can distill for them in age appropriate language. Yesterday, I was relieved that my kids’ school discussed the Japanese earthquake and tsunami with their classes. After school, I answered their questions.

With all the chaos in the world, I remind myself that life is still sweet. I’m working on abandoning my cynical (slightly distrustful) nature in favor of a more “glass half full” approach to life. Don’t get me wrong, I love cynicism in others i.e. Woody Allen. It’s one of my favorite qualities, along with a wry sense of humor. It’s just that right now, I need to be less cynical, more trusting, more generous and less anxious. Life IS sweet…especially when I set aside my cynicism, if only temporarily. I just started by making a donation to The Red Cross for the victims of the Japanese disaster. Every donation counts! There’s nothing cynical about that.

Christina Simon, 46, is the co-author of “Beyond The Brochure: An Insider’s Guide To Private Elementary Schools In Los Angeles”. She also writes the blog, www.beyondthebrochure.blogspot.com about applying to private elementary schools in Los Angeles and life as a private school mom in a school-obsessed city. Christina is a former vice president at Fleishman-Hillard, a global public relations firm. She has a 7-year-old son and a 10-year-old daughter. Christina lives in Hancock Park, Los Angeles with her husband and children. She has a B.A. from UC Berkeley and an M.A. from UCLA.

Woody’s entire film was a love letter to the city of New York.  It was made in 1979 during a time when the city was in poor economic shape and crime was sky high.  Still, he was able to totally romanticize the town.

I was living in Atlanta at the time, where I was born and bred.  I knew in my heart that I needed to be in a melting pot, in a city where I could be whoever I needed to be.  In high school, I never quite fit in and I wasn’t sure why.  I wanted to come to a city where I could explore, get involved with the arts, be a part of a melting pot while not feeling different because my skin was darker than everyone around me.

I moved to New York after spending some time abroad after college and I’ve been here ever since.  My first apartment was on West 70th Street between Amsterdam and West End.  When I turned left outside my building, I ended up at Riverside Park; when I turned right, I could walk to Central Park, Lincoln Center, Zabar’s, Lincoln Plaza Cinema, H&H; Bagels, Cafe Luxembourg where I used to see all the Broadway actors after their shows.  I’ve had an adult life filled with theater, opera, concerts, hikes upstate, trips to beaches during the summer, walks all over the city, meeting other like-minded people who also moved here from all over the world.

About a year after my arrival, I was at Carnegie Hall watching a classical concert.  In the not too far distance was Woody Allen and his wife.  I’ve seen them numerous times walking on the Upper East Side.  I owe a lot to him.  He painted a beautiful portrait of the city in not only “Manhattan” but also “Annie Hall,” “Stardust Memories” and his other films that I got swept away and moved here as soon as I could.  The city has changed since I first got here.  It’s much more expensive and I’m not sure if I could experience the amount of culture and find the same opportunities as I had when I got here today.

But I still love it.  I’ve since had kids and moved to the suburbs and no longer can walk out the door and roll right into the heart of it all.  I miss that sometimes, but I can get in easily on the train and quite often do.  The city will always hold a special place in my heart and I refuse to let go of what it has to offer me.  I go in as much as I can.

Like one of his famous lines says, “we’ll always have Manhattan.” And so will I.