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Amazon.co.uk Review
Woody Allen's gentlest and most unassuming movie, Radio Days isn't so much a story as a series of anecdotes loosely linked together by a voice-over spoken by the director. The film is strongly autobiographical in tone, presenting the memories of a young lad Joe (clearly a stand-in for Allen himself) growing up in a working-class Jewish family in the seafront Brooklyn suburb of Rockaway during the late 1930s and early 40s. In this pre-TV era the radio is ubiquitous, a constant accompaniment churning out quiz shows, soap operas, dance music, news flashes and Joe's favourite, the exploits of the Masked Avenger. Given Allen's well-publicised gallery of neuroses, you might expect childhood traumas. But no, everything here is rose-tinted and even the outbreak of war makes little impact on the easygoing, protective tenor of family life.
Now and then Allen counterpoints his family album with the doings of the radio folk themselves (blink, and you'll miss a young William H Macy in the studio scene when the news of Pearl Harbour comes through). The rise to fame of Sally (Mia Farrow), a former night-club cigarette girl turned crooner, is the nearest the film comes to a coherent storyline. But most of the time Allen is content to coast on a flow of easy nostalgia, poking affectionate fun at the broadcasting conventions of the period and basking in the mildly rueful Jewish humour and small domestic crises of Joe's extended family. There aren't even any of his snappy one-liners, and the humour is kept low-key, raising at most an indulgent smile. A touch of Allen's usual acerbity wouldn't have come amiss. But for anyone who shares these memories, Radio Days will surely be a delight.
On the DVD: Not much besides the theatrical trailer, scene menu and a choice of languages. The screen's the full original ratio, but nothing seems to have been done to enhance the soundtrack, and the dialogue's not always clear. A boost in volume may help.--Philip Kemp
Special Features
English
Region 2
Region 2
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Vintage Magic!!,
By
This review is from: Radio Days [DVD] (DVD)
If you are into vintage radio and the sounds of that era then this is the film for you. It has a magical quality and very funny in the way it shows a way of life long gone. The fashions,cars and interior designs of the places visited are so well shown it is a visual book on how to create the look for your own dreams.
18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another of Woody's Best.....,
By
This review is from: Radio Days [DVD] (DVD)
Radio Days is another of Woody Allen's wonderfully warm and affectionately nostalgic films.Excellently put together (and featuring a quality cast), the characters are brought to life by a witty script rich with Woody's unique trademark humour. The only problem is that it's so enjoyable that it passes all too quickly. A film that leaves you with a warm feeling and wanting more of the same (just like Manhattan and Annie Hall). Radio Days will not disappoint anyone who appreciates the genius of Woody Allen.
9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nostalgic,
By Jay "The Amazon Reviewer" (Mauritius) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Radio Days [DVD] (DVD)
Rarely does a motion picture capture an era with such nostalgia and reverence, as Woody Allen's "Radio Days". Set in New York City as World War 2 breaks; "Radio Days" captures the mood of the times through the music, drama, news, sports - and even the commercials that entertained and informed listeners in the days when radio ruled the media roost. Seen through the eyes of a young Jewish boy and his extended family in working class Brooklyn, the movie is really a series of well crafted vignettes, based on fact mixed with fiction. Some are hilarious, some touching, but always entertaining and filled with the great "Swing" music of the era. As usual, Allen's ensemble of actors deliver terrific turns as they recreate those great old days. Mia Farrow, Diane Wiest, Julie Kavner, Michael Tucker, and Seth Green are standouts, while Woody Allen narrates as only he can. A triumph in every respect, "Radio Days" will leave you, as the final scene does; longing for a more innocent time, while sadly knowing it is gone forever.
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