Review // Irrational Man

[projekktor id=’20120′]

At one point in Woody Allen’s Irrational Man, Joaquin Phoenix – portraying depressed philosophy professor Abe – bemoans his subject of study as just a lot of “verbal masturbation”. While the line speaks to his character’s growing weariness with life and work, it also speaks to the great weariness of Woody Allen’s recent efforts. At the height of his powers, Allen’s characters spewed self-conscious tirades and existential pop-philosophy with hilarious aplomb, always toeing a line between the sincere and bitingly ironic, revelling in this so-called “verbal masturbation”. In Irrational Man, Allen trudges out the same old questions of life and sex visited so many times throughout his storied career, but in a way that seems like he’s getting tired of himself.

The film takes place at Braylin College, an imaginary New England school with beautifully manicured grounds and days of endless golden sunlight captured beautifully by cinematographer Darius Khondji. This is the type of school where keggers are the forum for detailed discussions about art, and the biggest problem anyone has is being so rich they’re bored. Abe (Joaquin Phoenix rocking a healthy paunch and full mumble mouth) has just arrived on campus to fill a new position in the philosophy department and quickly catches the attention of many of the college’s female staff. A flask-swigging alcoholic, Abe has come to the college to escape the world and finish his long-in-the-works book about Heidegger and Fascism. However he quickly finds a source of distraction from his brooding ways in a promising student named Jill (Emma Stone). The two become friends and soon she is developing feelings for the troubled old professor, despite his insistence that their relationship remain platonic (it’s okay to roll your eyes). Meanwhile Abe engages in a halfhearted affair with Parker Posey’s Rita, who dreams of escaping her loveless marriage and running off to Spain.

While Allen has been happy to make a romantic triangle the entirety of his story before (I’m looking at you Vicky Cristina Barcelona), Irrational Man takes a quick turn into the crime caper after Abe and Jill overhear a woman in a diner cursing a judge who is taking away her children. Moved by her plight Abe sees an opportunity to break out of his existential ennui by making a decision and following it through. He decides to murder said judge, and justifies it with his specious philosophical logic. The rest plays out with a certain degree of fun as we watch the film’s supporting cast slowly piece together the truth behind Abe’s deed.

The film is largely saved by strong performances by Joaquin Phoenix and Parker Posey. Emma Stone gives it her best, and she certainly creates more on-screen chemistry with Phoenix than she did with Coin Firth in the cringe-worthy Magic in the Moonlight, but she is let down by the script. It feels odd to say but the weakest thing with Allen’s newest effort is the writing. Abe and Jill regularly provide voiceover narration that describes events that happen on screen literally seconds later, Abe’s habit of quoting philosophers in everyday conversation feels painfully contrived, and the convenient slapstick ending makes the film feel like it was whipped off in a weekend. Add to that the general “ick” factor of watching another older man meets much younger woman Allen romance and Irrational Man is as forgettable as a Friday morning lecture in Philosophy 101.

Reviewed by Evan Arppe.