Woody Allen’s films are considered light entertainment, even when they delve into darker elements of human interaction.  The newest example of this is Irrational Man, a comedic drama which follows a troubled philosophy professor to a summer gig at a Rhode Island college.  A chance remark leads to his sudden rejuvenation, and a moral dilemma that he cannot ultimately resolve.

Allen’s film begins unsteadily with the anticipation of the new professor’s arrival, and the (in my view, questionable) use of multiple narrators to frame the story.  The professor (Joaquin Phoenix) is unexcited about his new job; indeed, he may be suicidal.  A student (Emma Stone) is intrigued, impressed by what she has read by him and about him.  A lonely faculty member (Parker Posey) is also intrigued, hoping to seduce him.  One can imagine what will occur — because it does — and then a conversation is heard which changes everything.  All that has occurred is simply set-up for what is about to occur, and it is frightfully compelling.

While the premise seemed rather artificial as it began, it gained traction as it went along.  Allen emphasizes the philosophic ramifications of life early, in the lectures that the professor makes, then applies them to the professor as he takes action.  It is an effective technique especially suited to the intellectual, academic world that Allen presents, where everything about life and death is to be questioned.  And the film rekindles Allen’s age-old paradoxical grapplings: intellectual vs. emotional, moral vs. reason, action vs. discussion, sex vs. love, fantasy vs. reality.  These conundrums and more are present in Irrational Man, deepening its meaning and impact.

I’m a fan of Woody Allen the filmmaker.  Year in and year out he has written and directed highly personal films that do more than just entertain.  All of them are of high quality and some of them are genuine classics.  His record of consistency is almost unmatched in American cinema.  He’s not as cinematic or versatile as John Ford or Howard Hawks or William Wyler or Billy Wilder, yet Woody Allen is as much a master as any of them, in his way.  Irrational Man is one more powerful example of his very personal style of filmmaking.  ☆ ☆ ☆.  6 August 2015.