When the lead character in Woody Allen's latest bittersweet romantic comedy describes his new life in Los Angeles to relatives back home in New York as "kind of half bored, half fascinated" I have to admit I felt the same about this film.
It's a beautifully crafted period piece that brings to life the glitzy Golden Age of 1930s Hollywood and the glamorous nightlife of New York - hardly Depression America. The costumes are exquisite, the cinematography luminous, the acting wonderful, and there are plenty of witty Woody Allen quips to smirk over. Yet, for all its classy production values, Café Society isn't as invigorating as Allen's top-notch work can be.
Don't get me wrong, it's hardly a misfire from the 80-year-old filmmaker, but its nostalgic tone and predictability means it's light and charming as opposed to memorable.
As we've come to expect from Allen, both his manner and life are reflected in the characters on screen. Jesse Eisenberg plays Bobby, a New Yorker from the Bronx who moves to Los Angeles in the hope of getting work with his famous Uncle Phil (Carell), an agent in Los Angeles.
In the scene where Bobby tells off a young woman trying to kick-start her career as a prostitute, Eisenberg plays it just as you imagine a young, over thinking Allen would - it's amusing to watch, but lacks originality.
