Woody

October 1, 2015
A celebratory biography of the director "whose public persona is instantly and eternally assumed to be his real personality." In an email quoted in its entirety, Woody Allen advised Evanier (All the Things You Are: The Life of Tony Bennett, 2011, etc.) against writing this book. "All the facts about my life have been written about and rewritten about," Allen said, "and my work has been dissected in books and articles all over the world for years." He was concerned, as well, that the author's assessments of his movies were "wrong-headed appraisals and would not add anything to the cultural landscape." Unfortunately, Evanier persisted, and he has produced a bloated, repetitious, overly rapturous biography filled with plot summaries, reviews, and excerpts from Allen's many interviews and profiles. His interviewees include a few of Allen's childhood friends; colleagues, such as his casting director; his forgiving first wife, Harlene Rosen Allen; a writer who confesses that she is "one of Allen's most obsessed fans"; critics John Simon and Richard Schickel; and Dick Cavett, whose interview with the author appears in full. "This is not a blow-by-blow or a standard critical biography," writes the author, but rather an effort to "make Allen known and understood in a deeper way." To Evanier, Allen "is the most amazing phenomenon in the history of American show business," greater even than Charlie Chaplin. "His continuity and high rate of productivity are unprecedented," though some work falls short: "Interiors," for example, "is practically unwatchable." Not surprisingly, the author mounts considerable evidence to defend Allen against accusations of sexual impropriety regarding his affair with Mia Farrow's adopted daughter and sexual abuse of another daughter. Evanier concedes, however, "that Allen appears to feel guiltless about his behavior toward women. He seems to feel no sense of responsibility," an attitude that does not diminish the author's adulation. A fan letter in the form of a biography.

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November 15, 2015

Biographer (Roman Candle: The Life of Bobby Darin; All the Things You Are: The Life of Tony Bennett) and novelist (Red Love) Evanier looks at Woody Allen's 50-plus-year career, particularly as a filmmaker. He provides rare insight into the notoriously private life of his subject and explores the rich textures of his films. Allen's persona has become ingrained in popular culture, partly owing to his private affairs, but more so for his ability to consistently release films. This is a testament to his enjoyment of moviemaking, which he refers to as his "drug," as well as his belief that he has not yet produced any significant work. This contradiction makes Allen a compelling figure, particularly when he has been nominated 23 times for the Academy Awards, earning more screenwriting nominations than any other in the Best Original Screenplay category. Evanier covers many of Allen's films, discussing plot points and significant themes. He also delves into aspects of his life that have helped create his public persona. VERDICT This book, released to coincide with the director's 80th birthday, is recommended for serious fans of Allen's work. There is enough biographical information to satisfy any curious reader, but the in-depth analysis of his professional endeavors is the book's real strength.--Gary Medina, Marymount California Univ. Lib.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from November 1, 2015
Evanier's mission in this major biography of writer, director, and actor Woody Allen was to make Allen known and understood in a deeper way. By dint of numerous interviews, fresh, nuanced perspectives, and a strong grasp of complex personalities and situations, Evanier succeeds. We see young, small, but tough Allen disgusted with his mother and school, enthralled by magic tricks, movies, and the clarinet, and establishing his lifelong dedication to writing to cope with brutal realities. Evanier charts Allen's great success as a television writer and his rise as a stand-up comic performing startlingly imaginative and gutsy monologues. Evanier neatly separates the indefatigable, resourceful, tenacious artist from his camera-ready persona as a nebbishy if wily loser as he discusses Allen's unique securing of total artistic independence as a filmmaker and provides the lowdown on his indelible films, one a year from 1965 on, from his fiascos (Interiors) to his finest (Evanier names 23, including Annie Hall, Broadway Danny Rose, Deconstructing Henry, Midnight in Paris, and Blue Jasmine). Here, too, are Allen's marriages and the deeply disturbing details about his relationship with Mia Farrow and court battles over allegations of child sexual abuse. Evanier's superbly sourced, meticulously interpreted, and briskly paced biography affirms that Allen, about to turn 80, is as creative, driven, and uncompromising as ever.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)