AmateurMovieReviews.com

By Simon Woodhouse

When it comes to pitching a film to studio execs, I guess sometimes it pays to be a well known, Oscar winning writer/actor/director. If Woody Allen wasn't Woody Allen, how far would he have got pitching a film that's a supposed Greek tragedy set in New York, and tells the tale of a middle aged sports writer who becomes involved with a porn star? Not only that, but at various points during the film Greek thespians pop up in the guise of mythological figures. And add to this scenes shot in an ancient amphitheatre, which feature masked players speaking Shakespearian style dialogue.

Mighty Aphrodite has all these things. But what on paper seems like it might not make much sense, actually becomes one of Allen's funniest films once it's up on the big screen.

As with most of Allen's films that feature him in front of the camera, he's playing a slightly neurotic, quick-witted New Yorker. Though the character of Lenny Weinrib is standard Woody Allen stuff, he does have a heart, something that other Allen characters sometimes tend to lack. When we first meet Lenny, he's discussing childbirth with his wife Amanda (Helena Bonham Carter). Lenny's not keen on the idea, but eventually they end up adopting a child. They name the boy Max, and for a while everything is good. Then Lenny starts to get the urge to try and find the boy's mother. Eventually he tracks down Linda (Mira Sorvino). Up until this point the film is amusing, however, once Lenny and Linda start to interact, it becomes a whole lot funnier. Linda is a porn star and a hooker, but totally unashamed about it. She's not the sharpest tool in the box, but she has a good heart. Lenny feels sorry for her, and they start to spend time together (but it's totally platonic). He then tries to fix her up with an aspiring young boxer.

Because Lenny is just an ordinary guy, his attempts to help Linda don't really work. But his failures provide the film with some of its funniest moments. In one particularly good scene, Lenny tries to persuade a local gangster to leave Linda alone. The guy and his minder are huge, and Lenny is just Lenny. This mismatch of characters, the bringing together of two people who would never normally meet, means the encounter is priceless. It's a theme that runs through the whole film, but it never becomes tired or over-used.

As with lots of Allen's films, Mighty Aphrodite feels a bit like a whole string of short comedy skits linked together to form a larger story. But that's fine, because these different little chunks mean the film never runs out of steam. And it doesn't rely on one visual gag, or a solitary, vaguely amusing premise to keep it going (as is often the case in lots of other comedies).

The film rolls on and Lenny becomes more confused about what he's doing with Linda. At the same time, he's drifting apart from Amanda. Various characters from Greek mythology pop up to try and advise him, but they just muddy the water.

Though this all sounds a bit heavy, it's not. Even when contemplating the tragic, the character of Lenny does so in the exaggerated, desperate way that's become Allen's trademark comedy style. Mira Sorvino is brilliant as Linda. Her high-pitched, whiney New York accent, though slightly exaggerated, fits the character perfectly. She's a tall girl as well, and so towers over Lenny, making them even more of an odd couple. As with all Allen films, the jokes are in the dialogue. There's some physical humor, but it's mostly what the characters say that'll make you laugh. You have to pay attention though; because the writing is so sharp the funnies come in continuous waves. However, this means the film easily stands up to repeated viewings. Being based loosely on the idea of a Greek tragedy, the film has a twist at the end. It's not tragic though, instead leaning more towards the ironic.

Mira Sorvino won a well-deserved Oscar (best supporting actress) for her portrayal of Linda. Allen is his usual hysterical self, with the character of Lenny being his best onscreen persona of recent years. If you're not a fan of his, however, there's nothing here that'll convert you. But if you are keen, or even just a casual observer, Mighty Aphrodite is a must see.