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SINGAPORE: If there is one thing that Woody Allen does better than making romantic comedies about neurotic New Yorkers with hang-ups about sex — it’s fretting.
The 72-year-old American director of classics like Annie Hall, Manhattan, Zelig and Deconstructing Harry worries about everything from directing an opera (“I have no talent for directing it, I hope I don’t make an embarrassment of it. I don’t know...") to travelling to strange places (“I’m a fearful traveller”) to the new film he’s directing (“When it’s over, you may or may not think it’s funny. When you don’t, then I may have failed.”).
These asides were uttered four months ago at the Cannes Film Festival in May — and they have been pretty much proven to be baseless.
Early this month, Allen’s operatic debut — the romantic comedy Gianni Schichi in Puccini’s Trittico trilogy — was widely praised when it opened in Los Angeles.
The “fearful traveller” pretty much gets the red carpet treatment wherever he goes (in Europe at least).
And while Whatever Works will only be released early next year, his latest romp Vicky Cristina Barcelona is touted as a return to form after the uneven reception to his so-called “London trilogy” — Match Point, Scoop and Cassandra’s Dream.
The movie, which opens in Singapore cinemas on Thursday, stars Scarlett Johansson and newcomer Rebecca Hall as two young Americans who fly to Barcelona on a holiday, where they encounter the hilariously volatile (and real-life couple) Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem.
At the Cannes press conference and interview, TODAY learned a little more about the man, apart from his worrying ways, of course.
There’s a threesome in Vicky Cristina Barcelona — is that a personal fantasy of yours?
You know, it’s hard enough to get one person... Two actually tends to make it more complicated and can be, uh, symmetrically fatal. The chemistry of the characters in this movie was right. Penelope and Javier play two artists who are crazed and have a larger-than-life view of things.
In real life, most of us could never handle anything like that. It’s too complicated, has too many emotional ramifications that could be too difficult to surmount.
Would you do a movie about sexually adventurous older people?
Well, I prefer young and beautiful! But, I guess, whatever age or combination works. If it makes the people who are involved in it happy and doesn’t hurt anybody else, then it’s fine. Personally, if it could involve Penelope and Scarlett, it’s a better deal.
What’s your official view on love?
I’m very romantic but never realistic. I feel love is very, very much a question of luck. Everybody’s needs — personal, sexual, intellectual, emotional — are very exquisite. It’s like a radio with many wires. If two of the wires don’t mesh, then it won’t play. For a little while, the sound’s okay, but then it comes apart. The best way to fall in love, really, is like the cure for cancer — the best cure for cancer is to be lucky and not get it.
Your last three films were based in London and you’ve set all your other films in New York. Why Barcelona this time?
Because people from Barcelona called and I said: ‘Sure, I love Spain’. This was a golden opportunity for me because I have a fondness for a number of cities in Spain, and Barcelona’s certainly one of my favourites.
I have a very romantic view of Europe — the women are more interesting, the food is better, the art is better, the lifestyle is more complicated and interesting, the bohemian life is better.
When I make films about New York, (people say my) films are too romantic and New York is not like that: ‘Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee make real films about New York!’
It’s your first time working with Cruz and Bardem. What’s it like?
I have such great respect and confidence in them. They would improvise in Spanish and I had no idea what they were saying! I was completely confident that they were so good that it would enhance the movie. I encourage my actors to improvise. They’ll say: ‘Oh, great, thank you!’ But when we come on to the set, they’ll do exactly what I wrote! And I always say: ‘Please forget what I wrote, put it in your own words.’
You’ve made a movie almost every year since 1966 — what’s the hardest part about that?
What’s hard is getting the idea for the film. When I finish a film, I lock myself in a room and start to think of another one. After a few days or a week of that... it is so unpleasant when you don’t have an idea... I sit all day long and at the end of the day I’m exhausted. My wife says: ‘You just sat in a chair, why are you tired?’
It’s such a good feeling when the idea comes that you write it, no matter what it is. If it’s a crime fiction, you’re so happy for it. A musical, a comedy, a romance... Once you have the idea, writing it is fun.
We heard you’re one of the ‘old school’ guys who still uses a typewriter. Is that true?
My Olympia portable, which I purchased when I was 16 years old. Every single thing in my life, I’ve written on it. When I bought it, I asked if it was gonna last. And (the salesman) said the typewriter will be here long after I’m gone. He’s right! The thing looks like I bought it yesterday. Although I’ve had to change the ribbon... - TODAY/ra
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