Sleeper Allen

Sleeper (W. Allen, 1973)

Being very familiar with Woody Allen – and, for that matter, Chaplin- I was unimpressed by this movie. It has a little of each’s style but not enough to put this film high up on my “Favorite Allen movies” list. I felt it was very superficial and ‘easy’. I realize this may just be a result of time passing and the same techniques and jokes being used over and over since. But isn’t that how a movie passes the test of time?. If the jokes were indeed timeless, they would’ve still somehow worked today and not seem like a load of very period-specific criticism and satire. I still savored some very allenesque moments and excellent lines, but mostly I could notice that he was still experimenting. I feel that movie probably had more impact at the time it was released and had no ambition to go beyond that. Also, directing techniques (not Allen’s strength, and that’s fine) are particularly weak here and the editing feels rushed.