How much has the world changed in the three years between the making of Woody Allen’s new film, A Rainy Day in New York, and its belated release? Let us count the ways. To start, when the movie. The remarks, made in a lengthy New York magazine article published online on Sunday, represent the latest escalation in a decades-long dispute about allegations that Mr. Allen molested his adopted.

1. Woody Allen, New York. Irving Penn (American, 1917-2009) America, 20th century. As well as producing fashion and still-life images for the magazine.
2. The New Yorker may earn a portion of sales from products and services that are purchased through links on our site as part of our affiliate partnerships with retailers.

Woody Allen New Book

Review by Jonathan W. Hickman

Woody Allen New York Magazine Subscription

Be in the know the moment news happens

Subscribe to Daily and
Breaking News Alerts

As long-festering allegations of sexual misconduct continue to plague Woody Allen, the auteur of yesteryear finds a way to keep making movies. “A Rainy Day in New York,” a light farcical romance, contains very little of the genius that cemented him in cinematic history.

With all respect to the talented, influential director, the audience isn't interested in this movie because of him. The draw here is superstar Timothée Chalamet, slated for a blockbuster turn in Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” prior to it moving to October of next year. While fans get plenty of Chalamet here, they may be confused by what they hear him say.

“A Rainy Day in New York” occurs in the present (one naturally without the pervasive, menacing virus). The characters use iPhones and meander around in the modern city. But they continuously reference music and movies from another era. It’s quaint for a while, but then the banter gets stale and annoying.

And even though Chalamet and co-star Elle Fanning make an attractive couple, the charm wears thin almost immediately. Sure, part of the story has them at odds with one another, but let’s face it, making these two unappealing in a romantic comedy couldn’t have been Allen’s goal.

In “A Rainy Day in New York,” Chalamet plays Gatsby, a rich kid slumming it in an upstate New York liberal arts college. Like many disillusioned youngsters, he’s floating without a major and driven only by immediate concerns. Chief among his interests is his girlfriend Ashleigh (Fanning), an Arizona beauty-queen studying journalism. When Ashleigh gets an assignment to interview a famous film director in New York City, Gatsby seizes the opportunity to show his girl the city.

Gatsby takes his winnings from a card game, his other passion involves gambling, and he gets them a choice room in a classy hotel. He’s planned a night in a piano bar after she returns from her job. But when Ashleigh leaves for her interview and bonds with the director (a droll Liev Schreiber) and his writer (a scruffy Jude Law), Gatsby is left alone.

Strolling about aimlessly, he finds himself on the set of a friend’s student film. Gatsby’s instantly given a role opposite Chan (Selena Gomez), a former flame's little sister. From there, things get romantically complicated. And Ashleigh’s disappearance act extends, as she moves up the ranks from wallowing in self-pity with the director to gallivanting about with a swarthy movie star (played by Diego Luna).

Allen’s script ping-pongs its stars around the occasionally rain-drenched city. Chalamet even gets to sing, as Gatsby’s passion is piano bars. Fanning gets the worst of it, as Allen wrote her character as a clueless debutant, who may be subtly aware that she’s being used, but could care less.

Pop-star and actress Gomez delivers her stogy dialogue in a manner reminiscent of players in a classic 1930’s Hollywood screwball comedy. If she was the only one in the film that spoke this way, it would be a charming character trait, but it comes off as mimicry against the other performances.

As an aside, I remember being enchanted by Patricia Hitchcock’s snazzy delivery in her father’s 1951 classic “Strangers on a Train.” That supporting performance stood out because it was distinct from the other characters in the movie. Here Allen’s artificially witty dialogue spoken by all the young actors swirls together in a cacophony of disagreeable tones—it’s noise, not narrative.

Things do slow down for one good scene in which Gatsby’s mother (the always excellent Cherry Jones) brings her boy down to earth. Jones, immaculately adorned in a lovely yellow cocktail dress, plays the world-weary, New York socialite mother with a kind of no-nonsense plainness that the entire film is sorely missing. This crushing voice of reason is to be an epiphany for the boy. But because Allen built Gatsby up to be almost incapable of letting his guard down, Chalamet isn’t allowed emote or engage on a deep, sincere level. It’s disappointing, despite being the film’s standout highlight.

Had Allen wanted to channel Whit Stillman and his Oscar-nominated 1990 film “Metropolitan,” why not set his rom-com in that time? But, unfortunately, “A Rainy Day in New York” feels hopelessly dated and forced.

On Sept. 16, 2018, New York Magazine published Introducing Soon-Yi Previn a profile of Mia Farrow’s daughter and Woody Allen’s wife written by Daphne Merkin.

Ronan Farrow’s Dead Asian Siblings

Woody Allen New York

The New York Post Article, May 23, 2020

Ronan Farrow tried to kill New York magazine story on Woody Allen’s wife, Daphne Merkin claims

Farrow and his family directed a pressure campaign toward top brass at New York magazine in the days before they published Merkin’s lengthy profile of Soon-Yi Previn, the wife of Woody Allen and adoptive daughter of Allen’s ex Mia Farrow, Merkin — who has never spoken publicly about the conflict — told The Post.

“I wasn’t used to this level of fear … fear of Ronan, of being sued, of the power of Mia and Ronan, simply culturally, their power on Twitter,” Merkin said.

RELATED CONTENT (New York Post). Ronan Farrow tried to kill New York magazine story on Woody Allen’s wife.

Daphne Merkin Interview with Rivista Studio, Sept. 20, 2018

On Sept. 20, 2018, the Italian Newspaper, Rivista Studio, published an interview with Daphne Merkin in which she reveals how Ronan Farrow pressured New York magazine to edit Soon Yi’s interview. The interview with Merkin was conducted by Italian journalist Guia Soncini. Below are some excerpts translated into English by Rominaricci.”

By the way, we are still waiting an answer from Ronan Farrow about her mother supporting Polanski when he was convicted to rape a 13 years old girl, his uncle John Charles Villiers-Farrow, 67, sentenced to 25 years in prison, with 15 years suspended for sexually abusing two boys in his Maryland neighborhood, etc.

About Ronan Farrow

“He’s considered the golden boy, the enfant prodige of the moment, and the New Yorker has given him a lot of new visibility and prestige. Therefore, few dare to point out the question of his personal bias in this case as something valid.”

RELATED CONTENT. “I believe my sister.” – Ronan Farrow

“I wrote that I’ve known Woody Allen for forty years, but Ronan dug out an old essay I’d published about the idolatry of famous people, and I had once written a fan letter to Allen. So I was forced to declare my friendship with Woody, even though we see each other no more than twice a year.”

“I don’t know what Ronan and my editor talked about, but I was subsequently in the legal department of the magazine three hours, fighting hard for every line I wrote, and sadly I had to give up a lot.”

About Moses Farrow

“I was forced to remove the message written to Moses by his teacher, where she said she admired him for his bravery.”

RELATED CONTENT. Moses Farrow, A Son Speaks Out.

About Mia Farrow

“I was forced to remove that when Mia found Soon Yi’s photos, she beat her with the phone and kicked her. For my story, Mia admitted (via Ronan) only to have slapped her, and to omit what I wrote, because there weren’t other witnesses. They asked about witnesses watching Mia throwing things against Soon Yi, I answered it was Soon Yi’s story, they were alone. It’s her story, I can’t tell something else.”

RELATED CONTENT. 40 Undeniable Facts About Mia Farrow, her Family and Woody Allen.

“I searched for Mia, and asked if she wanted to answer to the charges regarding her treatment of Soon Yi, but she didn’t answer me. But Ronan called the director of New York Magazine, it’s unheard of!”

“Mia isn’t maternal. She’s considered an example of maternity because people can’t see the complexities of the pantomime she’s carrying on. They think she’s Mother Teresa, feeding orphans.”

About Mob Justice

RELATED CONTENT. 20 Undeniable Facts about the Woody Allen Sexual Abuse Allegation.

“Official Justice has no chance against the furious social media army. As I was writing, I spoke with a Harvard lecturer, and asked how it was possible, considering WA’s official innocence after the investigation. She answered that people have the right to their opinions outside the court of Justice.”

Woody Allen Mob Lynching