Details are slowwwwly trickling in concerning Woody Allen’s working-titled “WASP22.” We still don’t know much about the film beyond Allen comparing it to his dark 2005 drama “Match Point.”
One source is telling me that Allen’s 50th film will be a murder-mystery police drama with hints of dark comedy. Intriguing. I’ve been hearing rumblings of a Cannes premiere, but another source had previously told me that a Venice premiere is a legitimate option being currently studied by Allen.
“Wasp22” wrapped production in late November in Paris. DP Vittorio Storaro is back shooting this one with Allen. Storaro had hinted about its mixture of dark drama and comedy:
“I know the story, but, with Woody, secrecy is a must. However, I would not compare it to “Match Point” (as Allen did). The script does a masterful job at mixing drama and comedy, each time calibrating them in very different ways. I can say that it takes place in the present, there will be laughter, but also dark chills.”
We don’t really know if this will be Allen’s final film, he’s hinted at it, but he’s playing it by ear, as he should at 87 years of age. What we do know is that this is his first French-language film, which makes the project all the more fascinating.
Allen has a stacked cast of French actors for this film, all of the leads have been Cesar-nominated: Niels Schneider, Lou de Laage, Melvil Poupaud, Valerie Lemercier and Elsa Zylberstein.
Allen can still make strong movies at the twilight of his career, he’s proved it with “Midnight in Paris” and “Blue Jasmine.” I also find “Irrational Man,” “Cafe Society” and “Wonder Wheel” to be incredibly underrated works as well.
The short version: "Woman Unknown" was a compromise. The jury deadlocked over "Possible Love" and "NAZA," not able to com to terms, fell back on their #3, May el-Toukhy's film.