Café Society is a Woody Allen film that I saw, but did not spend money, because I love Parker Posey. Café Society is set in the 1930s and is about a young man who heads out West to find his fortune, but instead finds and loses love so he returns to the East Coast, New York City, to find fortune and a superficially good life that he is not fully engaged in because he does not fully love.
Café Society works because of what it evokes, not because of what it actually does. Café Society’s thread of an earthy, ethnic, i.e. Jewish family extending throughout the US resonated with me. Even in the face of success, the roots are strong and more interesting than the circle of privilege they escape to with the exception of Parker Posey’s character, a NYC Waspy socialite and successful modeling agent. The supporting characters, the put upon intelligentsia with the racist neighbor and the iconic Jewish street-smart Jewish gangster, played by the generally magnificent Corey Stoll, stole the show for me.
I do not hate or love Jesse Eisenberg or Kristen Stewart. I don’t care how many people tell me that she is beautiful or interesting, but Stewart is not. I can’t suspend disbelief that you would toss over an older Sherilyn Fenn or Blake Lively for Stewart or her character if we just compare them in terms of beauty. Stewart’s character is all clichéd pretence, which is not a bad thing if she got what she really wanted and was just initially in denial about it, but does not make her interesting, just young and coping with disappointment. I don’t believe in a world where two men are fighting over her.
Is Eisenberg even acting? Maybe slightly, but after seeing him in numerous movies, I get Jesse Eisenberg with varying levels of enthusiasm. Occasionally he affects an Allen-esque tone to his mumbling so at least he does a basic Woody Allen impression, but if you are just playing yourself repeatedly, is it acting? I suppose memorizing lines and wearing the clothes of your character is more than I could do on a good day so sure, but these aspects don’t make you a good actor just better than someone who isn’t an actor. I suppose that the same people who think that Eisenberg is a great actor think that Casey Affleck is amazing. If you want to see real acting, Posey perfectly embodies the time period and the energy of her character with a memorable, but all too brief performance.
I did enjoy the questions posed by Café Society: would you choose love or status? Café Society effectively revisits themes of the morality of crime, love and status. Café Society accurately depicts the natural bonding done by New Yorkers outside of NYC. The casual, daily racism, i.e. micro-aggressions, against Jewish people by friends, family and neighbors is artfully done. Lively’s character describes them as “pushy people.” Posey’s character casually notes that Eisenberg’s character can’t join the country club. The reason that Allen’s movies have no minorities is because he still sees Jewish people as the minority, which is accurate, and regardless of wealth and success, will always focus on that exclusively. Part of the reason that people find Allen so appealing is his debilitating narcissism and neurosis.
Still it is galling that he chose to call his film Café Society, which was the name of a NYC nightclub that showcased African American performers in 1938 and had patrons of all races unlike some nightclubs that only had black performers, but did not welcome black patrons. Café Society was a trademarked name that was intended to ridicule high society, but in Allen’s world are there even black performers? Forget black performers, have his past movies ever had Asian characters? While I enjoyed Café Society, especially in comparison to his most recent prior entry, Irrational Man, I stand by my decision to never give him money again. He is too problematic and old to change.