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A Rainy Day In New York Blu-ray Review

“A Rainy Day In New York” is an underrated Woody Allen film.

In “A Rainy Day In New York,” Liberal arts college student/gambler/son of a wealthy family (Gatsby) goes to Manhattan with his journalism major girlfriend (Ashleigh) who is set to interview acclaimed filmmaker Roland Pollard for the college paper. Gatsby wants to have a romantic getaway in the city with her but things don’t pan out the way he envisioned as she is whisked away by Hollywood figures (Roland, a screenwriter and a famed actor). On top of that, Gatsby desperately tries his best to avoid his family (who are having a gala) while he also meets Chan (the sister of a former girlfriend) who he begins to develop a connection with. Will Gatsby and Ashleigh’s romance  survive  or will they both find new paths in life?

It’s no secret that cancel culture has come for the ever controversial Woody Allen and, as such, the prolific writer/director’s recent work has fallen under the radar including “A Rainy Day In New York.” While his filmography of the past 20 years has been hit-and-miss, ‘Rainy’ is a rather underrated effort by the filmmaker if you have the desire to follow his work anymore. Over the years, Allen has taken his film shoots everywhere from Rome to Barcelona so it’s always nice to see the director return to New York. There’s something special about NY and Allen together and that’s certainly the case with ‘Rainy.’

Story wise, this 2019 feature doesn’t bring much new to the table and that’s perfectly fine. It’s a decidedly old fashioned character based throwback to the Woody Allen pictures of yesteryear in that it’s about romance, NY, youth, finding yourself and family. It’s filled with witty dialogue, memorable characters, an all-star cast and a charming romance at the center. Basically, it’s everything you’d expect from a Allen film even if it’s not among his finest work. 

On the subject of the all-star cast, ‘Rainy’ is packed with talent like Timothée Chalamet, Elle Fanning, Diego Luna, Jude Law, Selena Gomez, Liev Schreiber, and Rebecca Hall. Rising star Chalamet continues to amaze here as manages to perfectly channel Woody Allen’s voice. Likewise, Selena Gomez delivers arguably her best work as Chan by showing audiences range and depth. Of course, Elle Fanning is great as always but that goes without saying. Luna, Hall, Law and Schrieber all deliver fine performances as well in supporting roles.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.00:1 1080p. How does it look? The NY locals look stunning in hi-def.

Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? Expect a nice clean 5.1 track.

As with most Woody Allen home video releases, there are no extra features here.

November 5, 2020 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | A Rainy Day In New York Blu-ray Review, Elle Fanning, Romance Film, Selena Gomez, Timothée Chalamet, Woody Allen