Even when you put aside the controversies, I wouldn't call myself a Woody Allen fan. Like, the guy can be kinda funny sometimes, I guess, but I mostly just find him smug and irritating. And, to me at least, his movies often seem like they're so focused on being intelligent and cultured that they don't leave much room for anything interesting or memorable.
That's basically how I feel about Shadows and Fog, too. As far as I can tell, this one really only exists so that Allen can run wild with German Expressionism for 80 minutes. There's very little story (and what's there isn't nearly as interesting as it should be), the subject matter is old hat, and the large cast is completely wasted. Even most of the jokes don't really land.
I'll give him this much, though: the movie sure looks the part. Yeah, the angles and camera movements don't remotely resemble the films he's attempting to replicate, but the soundstage sets, hazy imagery, and black & white photography are all gorgeous, and they really go a long way in establishing the proper atmosphere. It's just a shame that this style ultimately isn't in service of much.
Grade: C+
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