Shot in 2017, Woody Allen’s latest film A Rainy Day In New York was part of a multi-picture deal signed between the veteran filmmaker and streaming giants Amazon. After Amazon pulled the plug on the production amidst the rise of the #MeToo movement and resurfacing sexual abuse allegation against the director -- allegations which he has always denied -- it looked like the film might never see the light of day.
Allen subsequently filed a lawsuit against Amazon and eventually settled out of court and A Rainy Day was later acquired by several independent distributors across multiple territories and became the highest grossing film globally when it was released digitally in some territories late last month.
Timothée Chalamet stars as Gatsby Wells, a student at Yardley College and the son of wealthy New York City-based parents. Despite a deep feeling of alienation, and disdain for most people at Yardley, the bright young man continues to attend courses because of his girlfriend Ashleigh (Elle Fanning), a rich student from Tucson.
After scoring an interview with legendary filmmaker Roland Pollard (Liev Schreiber at his brilliant best) for the college paper, Ashleigh travels to New York for the meeting. Tagging along with her to show her the city he knows and loves, Gatsby plans a whole itinerary around their stay, all the while doing his best to avoid his parents who just happen to be throwing their annual charity gala.
Gatsby’s hopes for a romantic weekend are soon dashed when Ashleigh is invited to a private screening of Pollard’s latest production, leading her on a series of encounters with some of the most powerful names in the film industry.
Meanwhile, a dejected Gatsby is reunited with a former acquaintance (Selena Gomez) who soon makes him question his current situation and future at Yardley.
Anyone familiar with Allen’s body of work won’t be surprised in the least to find out that A Rainy Day is business as usual for the prolific filmmaker. Neurosis, self-doubt and chaos take centre stage in this charmingly whimsical story about young love and new found hope. Once again, Allen can’t resist injecting his own brand of dark humour to the proceedings in this brilliantly acted drama comedy.
Chalamet’s depiction of Gatsby as a pompously verbose and eternally self-questioning young man is faultless. He plays him as precociously clever to the point of annoyance. For her part, Fanning does a great job as Ashleigh, a young ingénue who swept up in a whirlwind of men who see her as a clean slate. Although there’s no denying that Allen fails to address the undeniable predatory nature of some of her interactions, this is answered to some extent by her character’s reaction to them.
Jude Law gives a brilliantly neurotic and unhinged performance as Ted Davidoff, a writer who bears more than a little resemblance to Allen himself. Elsewhere, Diego Luna shines as the handsome young actor who sweeps Ashleigh off her feet after a chance encounter.
Elevated by some stellar performances courtesy of its young cast, A Rainy Day In New York may not hold all the answers or get every single thing right, but this is once again a classic Woody Allen narrative and a true return to form for the legendary filmmaker.
A Rainy Day in New York is available on premium on demand platforms from June 5.
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