Bullets Over Broadway is definitely something you've never seen before. It's hard to imagine any other writer in the entire world coming up with the basic plot that drives the film. Woody Allen takes a humerous concept and allows it to grow more absurd and surreal with each passing moment. And somehow, by film's end, the ridiculous seems acceptable. The film has been referred to as a comic take on the themes explored in Crimes and Misdemeanors, and while a comparison is interesting, I don't necessarily think it holds up. Bullets Over Broadway is an entirely unique film, inhabiting a bizarre universe completely its own. While both films feature the killing of an innocent, if annoying, female character, the comparison really ends there. Besides, in this film, the character pays for his murder. Perhaps the more interesting question the film raises is this: should artists really be willing to kill (or die for) their art?Of course, you'd never have time to ponder this question while in the midst of viewing the film. There's simply too much else going on, too many characters and plotlines to allow you the time to reflect on the underlying questions the film raises about art. And this is for the best; after all, the film is a comedy. Allen stayed behind the camera for this film, marking the first time he decided not to act in one of his own comedies. Though he'd not appeared in any of his three dramatic films (Interiors, September, Another Woman), he had always made an appearance of some sort in each of his comedies. It's an intersting choice that has no real explanation, but definitely ends up being the right decision. I say this only because John Cusack is wonderful in his Woody-ish lead role. You don't miss Allen, primarily because of Cusack's built-in charm and the great chemistry he has with both Dianne Wiest and Chazz Palminteri. Both Wiest and Palminteri were nominated for supporting Oscars (Wiest won the award), and both definitely b...
