Irrational Man *** (2015, Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Parker Posey, Jamie Blackley) – Movie Review

Woody Allen without the laughs, anybody?

Joaquin Phoenix stars as Abe, a depressive, super-brainy, middle-aged philosophy professor who ironically finds the fresh will to live and a new zest for life when he commits murder. It’s apparently the act of a rational man. He makes the decision to kill a bad man. Emma Stone also stars as his student Jill, who is enthralled by Abe, though increasingly less enthralled when she starts to suspect he’s a murderer.

I sat and glumly waited 20 minutes for the laughs to start in Woody Allen’s 2015 movie. Then it dawned on me. This is not a comedy. Duh! I wish someone had told me this idea beforehand so I’ll pass it on. I have to confess that I was looking forward to an evening of laughs – but there aren’t any. However there is sophisticated wit aplenty, and a little cornucopia of typical, teasing Woody Allen clever ideas.

There are basically only the two characters (three if you include Parker Posey’s desperate middle-aged Rita, who keeps propositioning Abe: maybe four if you include Jamie Blackley as Jill’s pathetic boyfriend Roy) and a thin plot to fill 90 minutes of screen time. It’s basically a short story, one of those they call a shaggy dog story – for odd reasons. It would make a perfect half hour short film.

There’s a lot of talk and angst, it’s more or less all talk and angst, at least until things suddenly hot up with the murder. And then there’s also a big, shock finish when Allen goes into overdrive to deliver Something Happening. It’s not entirely convincing, maybe, but it’s done really well, and is indeed shocking and memorable. A bit of a coup. The woman next to me was holding her hand to her face and screaming ‘Oh my God’, and ‘oh, no’. Impressive!

The film that it’s most like is Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989). That also was a drama with an underlying wicked sense of humour. Irrational Man isn’t quite as good, but it is rather good. What helps so very much is the exquisite work of Phoenix and Stone. They are just great and quite simply couldn’t be better.

In answer to the first question: Woody Allen without the laughs anybody? Yes, maybe.

By the way, you’re going to have to learn a bit of American for two key items of the movie. Flashlight = torch. Elevator = lift. (I know, this isn’t funny, it’s sly wit.)

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2893

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