# Everyone Says I Love You (1996)

### reviewed by
Berge Garabedian

    EVERYONE SAYS I LOVE YOU
    RATING:  6.5 / 10 --> So-so

    Review Date:         June 20, 1998
    Director:                Woody Allen
    Writer:                 Woody Allen
    Producer:         Robert Greenhut
    Actors:                 Woody Allen as Joe
                    Goldie Hawn as Steffi
                    Alan Alda as Bob
                    Drew Barrymore as Skylar
                    Edward Norton as Holden
    Genre:                 Musical Comedy
    Year of Release:         1996

Woody Allen's first foray into the cinematic world of musicals, once again boasts a cast full of brand names from Hollywood, and Woody's ever-present comedic genius.

PLOT: Musical that presents us with the ups and downs of a rich family from New York. They travel to Paris and Venice, and introduce us to their love lives through the international language of gab and music.

CRITIQUE: Upbeat musical that works on some entertainment-value levels, but fails to delve into anything of great motivation for the audience to fully enjoy. This film is your basic Allen comedy (Standardized with the continually funny one-liners..."I should go to Paris and jump off of the Eiffel Tower. If I took the Concorde, I could be dead three hours earlier."), but with much less character development, and much more songs sung by the cast. I personally am not a fan of musicals, so I must admit that I was somewhat surprised that I semi-enjoyed this movie. I mean, it wasn't like EVITA, where the actors sung their lines throughout the entire movie. These songs were nice and lively, and introduced only when needed (Although I must admit that I could've done without the Woodster's awful crooning, and Julia Roberts' brave attempt at carrying a tune.)

Overall, the actors were very good, like every other Allen movie, with Alda, Hawn and Tim Roth sticking out in my mind as the standouts (Mind you, as per usual, I didn't care for the Barrymore performance.) The scenery shots were beautiful, especially the fall and winter snapshots of New York, and the Venician and Parisian vignettes. The ending was a bit weak, but then again, the entire story line wasn't really much to get excited about. Just a bunch of little adventures laced through some nice music and gorgeous scenery.

Definitely far from my Allen favourites like ANNIE HALL (8.5/10), BANANAS (8/10) and CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS (8/10), but a continuing sign of a genius whose only barometer of success lies deep within his own consciousness and spirit. Keep it up, Woody!! You're the man.

Little Known Facts: Goldie Hawn's real name is Goldie Studlendgehawn. Tracey Ullman filmed several scenes for this film, but all were cut by Woody to reduce the film's running time. Woody Allen's real name is Allan Stewart Konigsberg. Word on the street is that the man speaks fluent French, and that he refuses that watch any of his own movies once they've been released. One of his funniest one-liners was ""I'm not afraid of dying...I just don't want to be there when it happens." He apparently plays a mean clarinet with his band, every Monday night in a local jazz café in New York City. Drew Barrymore made her screen debut as William Hurt's daughter in the Ken Russell film ALTERED STATES (6.5/10) in 1980. At the age of 7, she starred in a little movie by Steven Spielberg (her godfather) called E.T. (8/10), and then spent the next few years going through drug-abuse and alcoholism. She is half Hungarian from her mother's side, Ildiko Jade. Despite his reputation as an actor being firmly established, Tim Roth still likes to tend bar from time to time. He stands 5"7. Edward Norton has a degree from Yale in history.

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    (c) 1998 Berge Garabedian

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