by Megan Hess
If you watch enough films, you will quickly learn one thing about the medium: often, titles deceive. For example, none of the scenes in Woody Allen’s Café Society (Allen, 2016) actually take place in a café – so discard any images of starlets sipping coffee in a cozy little spot. In fact, the less expectations you have for Café Society, the better. As with many other movies, going into Café Society without preconceived notions will help you to enjoy the film more.
One of the most important things to know – Café Society is not another iteration of Midnight in Paris (Allen, 2011). Because the events of the two films take place only a decade apart, it is easy to assume they would be similar, but the differences and distance between them show. Out of the most recent batch of Woody Allen films, Midnight in Paris is one of the best – innovative, witty, and charming, with the kind of cast less-established directors dream of getting for their films. Café Society shares almost nothing with Midnight in Paris, and, as a result, isn’t anything close to the same experience. Instead of dreamy, fluid, time and characters who draw viewers in, it marches along on a strict track, and the narrator keeps the audience at a distance. It has the ability to be many things all at once: Allen’s take on the trope of modern-day filmmakers covering “Old Hollywood,” a rags-to-riches narrative, a Philip Roth novel that Philip Roth never wrote. If that sounds cluttered, know that Café Society is anything but. In contrast, it is a simplistic coming-of-age, self-discovery narrative. In fact, Café Society is almost too simple, like Allen exerted only the minimal effort to make it. Overall, it’s predictable, but pleasant.
One of the most important things to know – Café Society is not another iteration of Midnight in Paris (Allen, 2011). Because the events of the two films take place only a decade apart, it is easy to assume they would be similar, but the differences and distance between them show. Out of the most recent batch of Woody Allen films, Midnight in Paris is one of the best – innovative, witty, and charming, with the kind of cast less-established directors dream of getting for their films. Café Society shares almost nothing with Midnight in Paris, and, as a result, isn’t anything close to the same experience. Instead of dreamy, fluid, time and characters who draw viewers in, it marches along on a strict track, and the narrator keeps the audience at a distance. It has the ability to be many things all at once: Allen’s take on the trope of modern-day filmmakers covering “Old Hollywood,” a rags-to-riches narrative, a Philip Roth novel that Philip Roth never wrote. If that sounds cluttered, know that Café Society is anything but. In contrast, it is a simplistic coming-of-age, self-discovery narrative. In fact, Café Society is almost too simple, like Allen exerted only the minimal effort to make it. Overall, it’s predictable, but pleasant.
Bobby Dorfmann (Jesse Eisenberg) talks to his uncle's friends at a Hollywood party (Café Society, Allen, 2016)
Despite its perceived narrative shortcomings, Café Society succeeds in other areas. It has a strong visual appeal that echoes the theme of minimalist restraint in the production: intriguing, but balanced – never a spectacle, even the large crowd scenes at parties. I found the costumes particularly noteworthy, especially in the party and nightclub scenes, where they embrace luxury and decadence without going overboard. Although Café Society is primarily a serious film, it does have some humorous moments, which are some of its highlights. Two worth mention: a Catcher in the Rye-esque sequence early on when protagonist Bobby Dorfmann (Jesse Eisenberg) hires a prostitute, and a running gag with Bobby’s gangster brother Ben (Corey Stoll) murdering his enemies and encasing their corpses in concrete. These moments are both necessary and appreciated in a deceptively light film like Café Society.
For all its supposed glamour, Café Society is really a reflection on lost love. Bobby does not expect to find anything more than a job with his uncle, Phil Stern, a successful movie producer (Steve Carell) when he leaves the Bronx for California, but he ends up meeting Vonnie (Kristen Stewart), a woman who captivates him from first meeting. Bobby is unable to cast aside his desire for her, even after she leaves him to marry another man (a predictable twist, but engaging regardless of its familiarity), and he returns to New York, but fate keeps stirring up the ashes of their romance. Allen steps away from convention at the end of the film, refusing to bring the lovers apart – a decision I respect. It makes for an ambiguous and depressing ending, but letting them end up together would just be pandering to convention.
For all its supposed glamour, Café Society is really a reflection on lost love. Bobby does not expect to find anything more than a job with his uncle, Phil Stern, a successful movie producer (Steve Carell) when he leaves the Bronx for California, but he ends up meeting Vonnie (Kristen Stewart), a woman who captivates him from first meeting. Bobby is unable to cast aside his desire for her, even after she leaves him to marry another man (a predictable twist, but engaging regardless of its familiarity), and he returns to New York, but fate keeps stirring up the ashes of their romance. Allen steps away from convention at the end of the film, refusing to bring the lovers apart – a decision I respect. It makes for an ambiguous and depressing ending, but letting them end up together would just be pandering to convention.
Bobby and his wife Veronica (Blake Lively) celebrate New Year's Eve at the nightclub he owns (Café Society, Allen, 2016)
In short, Café Society is a good unconventional love story. For those who want to see Jesse Eisenberg in a role he’s better suited to than Lex Luthor in Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice (Snyder, 2016) but have already watched The Social Network (Fincher, 2010) and The End of the Tour (Ponsoldt, 2015) I would recommend Café Society. Neither mindless fluff nor all-consuming thinkpiece, it makes an ideal movie night choice because of how inoffensive it is. Café Society is not hiding any deep questions; on the contrary, like Bobby and the nightclub he ends up running, it just wants to entertain.
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