This Woody Allen film doesn't seem to have much of a reputation but I've always loved it - a creepy and funny tribute to German expressionism and Kafka. Set in an unnamed European town in the 20s, shot in black and white with lots of shadows and fog, it all takes place over one night. Woody is in good form as the coward forced to join a vigilante. Woody skillfully mixes the high brow stuff (discussions about god, existence, sex, beauty) in with the low (the warm friendly brothel, the circus), with some lovely Kurt Weill songs. Woody makes an ideal team with Mia - I love it that they instantly become best friends but don't become romantically involved.
Many fine sequences: John Malkovich's tormented clown, his love scene with Madonna, John Cusack as a wanker student, Donald Pleasance as a creepy doctor, the finale where Woody takes on the killer (I only wish they'd let him actually capture him - though they make up for it by having him run off to join the circus), Woody running into old lover Julie Kavner who hasn't forgiven him. The killer is genuinely scary, the atmosphere wonderful.
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