Saturday, August 30, 2014

Broadway Danny Rose - Movie Review

A bunch of comedians are discussing some of their peers over lunch and the discussion turns to Danny Rose. Danny did may things in his life and they all recount bits and parts until one of them tells them the big story no one knows about Danny. This is when Danny was a one man talent scout who has a penchant for picking complete losers and getting completely involved with them and their personal lives. They benefit form his excessive support, get over their low phase and typically leave him and move on to better things.

One such case is Lou, a has-been singer, trying to make a comeback. Danny gets fully involved in his personal life to the extent that he offers to act as the 'beard' or the boyfriend of Lou's new mistress Tina, so Lou's wife does not suspect anything fishy when Tina comes over. But Tina was once married to a mobster and another mobster is an ex-boyfriend of hers and the mob feels that Danny is the one who has taken Tina away. The mob wants to kill Danny. Tina helps Danny escape and they spend an exciting day together escaping, including wriggling out of a rope that binds them together. After all this trouble, Lou gets a better deal, leaves Danny. Tina however finds herself being attracted to Danny and his ways and comes back to him. It does appear that Danny finds recognition and fame too finally. Maybe one of his other losers makes it or he gets better at his work.

Woody Allen is perfect as Danny Rose, bumbling his way through his job. Mia Farrow is perfect as Tina. Woody puts in a shade of drama though, a tinge of hurt on his character, which one normally does not detect in his characters - they are thick skinned as hell normally. But it is packed with some sharply written lines and situations that come through so well only in Allen's movies.    

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