Review: A RAINY DAY IN NEW YORK, Home Premiere

In a world of remakes, reboots and recycled stories, inimitability is hard to find. Woody Allen is a prolific playwright, comedian, actor, screenwriter and director who has carved out a cohesive career in film. Although many have drawn influence from the auteur, no one can replicate the authentic, witty voice we've heard over the last five decades.

His films might not be as innovative or pioneering as they once were, but that familiar voice remains as astute and distinctive as ever. It's the reason why a who's who of theatre and film talent still jump at the chance to work with him - the latest being fast-rising star Timothée Chalamet. The actor was due to be performing this month at the Old Vic alongside Eileen Atkins, another former Allen collaborator, until the shutdown.

At 84, Allen shows no signs of slowing down. Forty-eight films in as many years is of course something to be applauded, although the cliché of quantity over quality is undoubtedly a notion that even the most ardent of fans might hold. In the past decade or so, we've seen the more avant-garde Allen of old with the acclaimed fantasy piece Midnight in Paris - incidentally his highest-grossing feature. Blue Jasmine, a modern retelling of A Streetcar Named Desire, was another financial hit and enjoyed critical success too, with Cate Blanchett securing the Academy Award for Best Actress.

For the most part, Allen's latter output reverts back to his signature style, which usually offers us a glimpse of a fanciful New York we'd all like to visit, but which is removed from reality. Within 90-odd minutes, we follow a neurotic and whimsical protagonist overcoming obstacles while finding love in the process. We know what we're getting, and it's often a pleasant, if ultimately forgettable, cinematic experience that still holds a style all of Allen's own.

Despite reaffirming his formidable status in the aforementioned features, the majority of Allen's recent repertoire is rather low-key, slap-dash and perhaps even half-hearted. He certainly has nothing to prove in terms of his artistry, but one can detect a possible pattern of retrograde. Whatever Works and Magic in the Moonlight seem like rehashed scripts of old. A Rainy Day in New York could be a once-abandoned project that's been revisited. At the very least, it covers well-trodden ground and offers nothing new. The premise is simple: a young couple arrives in New York for a weekend, where they are met with bad weather and a series of unexpected adventures.

Allen might no longer act in his films, but his protagonists are usually the same nervous and quick-witted characters he himself played in such classics as Annie Hall and Manhattan. Owen Wilson is perhaps the best example of carrying Allen's torch as lead, but the much younger Chalamet is not far behind. Incorporating his own compelling charm and sensitivity, Chalamet exudes an anxious, awkward air, but balances this with an enchanting manner that's enthralling to watch.

Allen doesn't usually focus on such young protagonist, and perhaps this is where some of the problems lie. One of the things that made Blue Jasmine work was that it felt in tune with today. The same can't be said for A Rainy Day in New York, which feels archaic and out of touch in much of its writing. This does inject a nice, nostalgic feel to proceedings, but at times the actors seem to be trying too hard to bring the material to life as opposed to fully embodying it. There are some great one-liners, such as Chalamet's character's retort to "Time flies" with "Yes, unfortunately it flies coach". Ironically, this also applies to us no longer experiencing the first-class execution that Allen's career was built on.

A large chunk of the audience will no doubt come from Chalamet's legions of fans. Behind the fanfare surrounding him, the actor has already proved his prowess in a string of well-considered career choices that have each displayed a depth and versatility reminiscent of a young Leonardo DiCaprio. The actor is effortless as Allen's lead Gatsby Welles, and we believe in and enjoy watching his character - although it's clear he's not being stretched by the material. Selena Gomez is given some of the best lines and offers an assured and fun performance. She has undeniable and alluring chemistry with Chalamet that leaves us wanting more.

Elle Fanning excels as Gatsby's girlfriend Ashleigh and creates comedy through her awkward naïveté, although the character is not as fully developed, so we find ourselves failing to really care too much about her. Fanning complements Diego Luna well, with the two involved in some of the film's most entertaining moments, but in the end her character's journey fails to really go anywhere. There is stellar support from Cherry Jones as Gatsby's mother, and Liev Schreiber is wonderfully understated as a troubled, alcoholic film director in creative crisis. But Jude Law doesn't contribute much, and Rebecca Hall is sadly underused.

A Rainy Day in New York doesn't drench you with exhilarating excitement. But, like a trusted, if well-worn umbrella, it does offer us some gentle, much-needed escapism from the current storm we find ourselves under.

Watch the trailer here

A Rainy Day in New York is released in the UK on various online platforms on 5 June

Photo credit: Signature Entertainment

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