Deconstructing Harry

Compared to Woody Allen's previous film, the musical comedy "Everyone Says I Love You", Deconstructing Harry appears more substantial although the main plot is just as thin.

Woody Allen is thinly disguised as Harry Block, a neurotic writer of fiction, who uses his own life as material for his books. This is not popular with his family, his ex-wives and ex-mistresses. Lucy, the sister of Harry's ex-wife Jane, tries to kill him because his alter ego Ken has an affaire with his wife's sister in Harry's new book.

The main plot is interweaved with glimpses from Harry's past and scenes from his books, which all reveal a part of the truth about Harry. Fragmentation is both a style and a theme in the film, which is also about the close relationship between life and art. Harry's characters even enter his life by the end of the film.

It is the most witty Woody Allen-film I have seen for a long time. At the same time I am a bit weary of watching the narcissistic Allen in the leading part for the umpteenth time. How about staying behind the cameras for a change?