Filmed back in 2019, Rifkin’s Festival is the latest feature from writer/director Woody Allen. Its release was delayed until last year in other countries due to the pandemic and is now making its theatrical debut in the US. Admittedly, this low-key comedy doesn’t rank alongside the best of the moviemaker’s recent works, like Blue Jasmine, Midnight in Paris or Match Point. Still, it is an amusing and at times charming tale that also serves as a beautiful travelogue of the Spanish coastline.
Mort Rifkin (Wallace Shawn) is a grouchy, retired film professor trying to finish a novel. Unfortunately, he spends most of his time complaining about the work of modern moviemakers, saying their titles simply don’t compare to classics and the European films of the 1950s and 1960s. He tags along to the San Sebastian Film Festival with his much younger wife Sue (Gina Gershon), who is working the event as a publicist. She spends much of her time leading celebrated young French director Philippe (Louis Garrel) through interviews. Of course, Rifkin isn’t as taken by the filmmaker as the journalists, public and Sue are. After bickering with his wife about her client, he begins to fear that she may be having an affair with him. Anxious and suffering the hypochondria, he visits physician Dr. Joanna Rojas (Elena Anaya) and is immediately smitten. She is also in a troubled marriage and the two end up spending their spare time together. These events force Rifkin to come to terms with what he truly wants at this stage of his life.
The movie tarts off in a clunky manner, unnecessarily using a conversation between Rifkin and his therapist to tell his story. And numerous film references to classic movies like Breathless, Jules and Jim, The Seventh Seal and Citizen Kane may be baffling anyone not well versed in the history of cinema. As you might have already guessed, main character Rifkin is a movie snob. While he isn’t outwardly vicious, this still won’t make him the most likable of protagonists to many. In fact, most will wonder why this elderly, negative figure would be appealing to any of the female characters (even if it is explained that he once showed great promise earlier in his career).
Still, despite its quirks the film does have plenty going for it. Rifkin’s slights and comments about Philippe’s critically adored “upbeat anti-war movie” and the director’s affection for American cinema are often funny. As we get to know more about the lead, he does become more relatable. And whenever the protagonist feels concerned about his faltering relationships, his fears are depicted in movie scenes mimicking the style of his favorite filmmakers. These black and white sequences play homage to the movie titles listed above. For those who get the references, they are enjoyable to behold. The finale pays homage to a famous bit from The Seventh Seal, but features a grim and foreboding figure on a sunny Spanish beach. It is an especially funny scene with some well delivered lines by the cast.
Additionally, the film is gorgeously lensed. San Sebastian looks phenomenal as photographed by Vittorio Storaro (Apocalypse Now, The Last Emperor, Dick Tracy), impressing whenever Rifkin travels to various scenic spots in the area. It will certainly make most viewers add a to visit the region on their bucket list. And while the tone and subject matter may seem light and frothy on the surface, there is more going on beneath the story’s bright backdrops and jokes. We do see an anxious, fearful and sad man come to an honest assessment of his career, as well see the strain that being an impulsive and creative type can have on relationships.
If you’re not a fan of Allen’s work, then there’s likely nothing about this film that will win you over. Even his enthusiasts would likely agree that this isn’t one of his preeminent features. But then again, that’s a tough comparison to make when his best works are near prefect examples of their genres. Despite its flaws, Rifkin’s Festival is a beautifully shot and entertaining movie that will bring at least a few smiles to the faces of the moviemaker’s fans and cinema lovers in general.