Parker Posey and Emma Stone both compete for Joaquin Phoenix’s body

In his new film ” The Irrational Man”, Woody Allen surprises us once more with the subtle violence he creates and the questioning of young girl/old man relationship. At 79, he has written yet another intimate movie, sharing parts of his own life on screen. This time in New England.

Parker Posey is hilarious in her sexy professor’s part with Joaquin Phoenix, excellent decadent actor.

Emma Stone is older than Mariel Hemingway was in Manhattan and she has the assurance and certitudes of a more mature woman than the 22 year old philosophy student she portrays here. But she admirably conveys the brightness of a New England student that Woody has always somewhat admired. When the scarred and fat belly, Volvo driving, Abe/Joaquin Phoenix compliments her on her paper, he shows the sort of shyness that older men have towards younger beautiful women. She, little by little, seduces him, a failed philosophy star, who took up drinking when his wife left with his best friend.

Emma Stone and Jamie Blackley survive this new drama

Emma Stone has this quality of being completely beautiful and at times not so charming any more, which gives her a special attractiveness on screen. The other woman, Rita, acted by Parker Posey, is a complete riot and the energy she shows at raping poor Joaquin Phoenix is rejoicing.

As always in Woody’s movies, women come out the great winners and men are somewhat ridiculous like Emmaˋs father in the film, who is a complete loser. The only one who comes out all right is her boy friend Roy, played by Mank, Jamie Blackley who makes plans to go to Oxford and is serenely bright.

Woody is his own witty director again

The thriller type story does not make sense at all unless you realize that ” killing the judge who does not give access to her children to a woman on the verge of divorce” bears ressemblances to what happened to Woody Allen, when he was estranged from his adopted daughter and biological son by a NY judge. He did not kill anyone because he is an apostle of non violence, but certainly would have liked to gun down the press and the judge.

I saw the film as a long awaited revenge taken against Mia Farrow’s legal actions. If the judge is not capable of doing justice, let’s just kill him! In a way this is what we all want to do all the time and never dare… Fiction is here to help us!

The film is as clever in its dialogues and as beautiful in its Newport, R.I. sceneries as any of Woody’s films. Music, and piano music in particular has a big part in it, as Greek style blouses have for Emma Stone, who dresses preppy sexy. The philosophy classes are a bit too much for me and the Dostoievsky conversations too. But I have to admit that I was once again totally fascinated by the quality of filming and the steadiness of acting. It is not as vibrant as Alice or Annie Hall, but it definitely is a new stone on Woody Allen’s paved road to Glory.