Woody Allen’s most conventional picture in years is being touted as a
real return to form, and I suppose that’s true. His previous effort, Celebrity, was the worst Woody since Mighty Aphrodite (and probably longer than that), so Sweet and Lowdown certainly looks good in comparison. I have to admit, though, that I enjoyed the playful Everyone Says I Love You and the feisty, combative Deconstructing Harry
enough to rate them more highly despite the fact that the auteur was
shamelessly pillaging his own back catalog on both occasions.