Woody Allen & Wes Anderson

Woody Allen and Wes Anderson have a lot in common. On the surface, their similarities are easy to spot: they both write and direct their movies. However, if you dig a little deeper you can see that they also have distinctive styles that are rare in the film industry.

It's fair to say that the best of Woody Allen's career is behind him. There will not be another Annie Hall in the future. That's fine. All the great talents fade away eventually. But, to whom is the baton handed to? In this case, Wes Anderson has taken over as the premiere movie maker of his time.

Let's take a look at two New York movies, one by Woody Allen and one by Wes Anderson. Broadway Danny Rose is a fantastic picture. Shot in black and white, this movie follows the life and career of Theatrical Manager Danny Rose, played magnificently by Woody Allen. Co-starring Mia Farrow as the mistress of Rose's biggest client, the movie takes us through the ups and downs of life as a Talent Manager. Featured prominently is the Carnegie Deli, a sort of central point from which the action develops.

The Royal Tennenbaums is another New York story. It centers around a family of geniuses who have lost their way. The characters and dialogue remind one of early Woody Allen. The tragedy of the characters, told in a humourous way, reflects what must be a large impression Allen made on Anderson.

Both of these movies are fine rentals. One from the mentor, one from the protoge. Sure, they may not actually have this type of relationship, or know each other at all, but from a film making point of view, their relationship is obvious.

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