Radio Days (Woody Allen, 1987)

 

Apart from a great comedian, Woody Allen is also a great filmmaker. The way that he treats atmosphere and taste in his movies is, many times, absolutely phenomenal. Many unfortunately stay only to his jokes, but I assure that there is more in Woody than simple laughter. Radio Days is a nostalgic, retro trip to the radio days of the late 30s and 40s. The way that Woody treats this period is arguably astonishing. Although the movie is incredibly funny, there is another quality in the film that of the charm of the image and the tone. The frames and the scenes, beautifully carved, have an inner power, an outstanding allure that give to the film a warm smell, producing a cozy feeling to the viewer. Radio Days might be one of the most brilliant selections for times that you want to really feel something old and aesthetically satisfactory. The quality of the movie is so undeniably rich, so full of smells, images and emotions that after the movie you find yourself having that somehow stupid smile on your face like someone has given you back the toy that you had when you were little. 

Radio Days is altogether a triumph of beauty. It's not only the beauty of the actual filmic synthesis, but also is the beauty of the emotion that follows it. Woody makes films that aim for the heart that is unquestionably true. Finding yourself "trapped" within that family and their radio selections is something that makes you grow as a creature of feeling. And they are those feelings unbelievably strong, that Woody knows so well to produce. They are those feelings astonishingly exhilarating, that emerge from the film and they strike you cold dead and you find yourself being reborn again after the end of the movie. Radio Days is a moment in the endless filmography of Woody that marks the time when the American director took out all of his love for existence. Because the film has that universal quality inside of it. It speaks not only about the radio, not only about times that have passed, but most of all about humans and their deeds to this strange place that is called earth.