1650 - Bullets Over Broadway

So for my second film of my Woody Allen birthday fest I've picked something from the same time period as the previous one.  Woody had his a stride around this time in the early-mid nineties with a lot of solid comedies.  I think he went through a period of wanting to do lighter material, perhaps in response to his personal life being a bit heavy - although, what's the point in assuming?  Let's talk about the film!
John Cusack stars as a pretentious playwright who opens the film declaring "I'm an artist!".  He's had two flops on broadway which were, obviously, the director's fault.  This time he's going to direct - but the only way that his producer can get someone to finance the film is if he's willing to cast a mobster's girlfriend in the show - and she just happens to be an absolutely terrible actor.  It's such a great premise and it's an even better film - especially once the bodyguard meant to protect the girlfriend turns out to be the only true artist and we see just how far he's willing to go to make a great piece of art.  It's chock full of phenomenal performances, great plot turns, and clever lines.  In terms of story it might be one of Woody's more clear-cut films - and perhaps that's more to do with his co-writer than himself, but it's a really great example of comedy through character and situation.  It's bizarre to think that this film is almost twenty years old now (probably because it just makes me feel old), but it's another one of the classic Woody films that if you haven't seen, you really owe it to yourself to check out.