All about a wealthy New York couple (Alan Alda, Goldie Hawn) and their brood of kids (Drew Barrymore, Natalie Portman, Natasha Lyonne, Lukas Haas, Gaby Hoffman), Hawn's ex-husband (Woody Allen) who lives in Paris and their various romantic entanglements. Written and directed by Woody Allen. A typical Allen vehicle that is enhanced this time by the addition of song and dance. It's a conceit that works. Having cast actors rather than singers, they all (except for Drew Barrymore who is dubbed by Olivia Hayman) do their own singing. Most of them are charmingly off key, some can actually sing (like Goldie Hawn) and some display zero singing ability (like Julia Roberts). But the barely there plot is just there to hang the various musical moments in which the characters emotions are so intense that they have to sing about them rather just than talk about them. There are some truly lovely musical moments to savor like Allen and Hawn singing and dancing to I'm Through With Love along the Seine or the delightful Calypso number done at the grandfather's wake. There is one disturbing element in this musical fable, Allen using his daughter to eavesdrop on Julia Roberts' psychiatric sessions in order to use the information to seduce her. Alas, so insubstantial that it all fades from the memory rather quickly but that doesn't mean it isn't worth the view. With Tim Roth and Billy Crudup.
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