"Blows my mind to think that just like Lana, a chance encounter changed my life." Isabella (Poots) is a call girl who aspires to be an actress. When Arnold (Wilson), a playwright, hires her for the night he gives her a present that changes her life. When Arnold starts casting his next play Isabella shows up to read, with his wife. This starts a chain reaction of events that ends up affecting the lives of everyone involved. I will start by saying that this was a pretty funny movie that really has the feel of a Woody Allen type movie. Many different characters that all have their own story while at the same time being involved with everyone else. This is not a main stream comedy but I thought it was funny. The dialog is very witty and the pacing and timing really give the movie the extra push it needs for the comedy to really come through. This is not a movie for everyone but those that like the quirky, Woody Allen-esqe type movies this is one for you. Overall, funnier than I expected. A brilliantly written comedy that isn't for everyone but is one that is worth seeing if you are into this type of comedy. I give it a B.
Add a Review
-
kneto-magneto7 June 2015This movie was exactly what I thought it would be, so for me it delivered 100%
I really can't understand the hate the movie is getting so far. The acting of all parties involved is solid, Owen Wilson does his shtick, Jennifer Aniston plays wonderfully annoying, the lead role is played fantastically by Imogen Poots and the rest of the cast shines as well...
It's a very light "Woody Allen" - type summer comedy. It's not trying to be anything more. Sure, against the great films of the last century this doesn't need to be mentioned, but against light, comedic summer flicks, it is absolutely palatable. -
richardchatten25 March 2021Peter Bogdanovich is still pastiching other movies in what will probably prove his last feature. This time it's the garrulous romantic comedies of Woody Allen, with a non-stop jazz score and set among New York's chattering classes. The leading lady of course plays a hooker, there are rabbi jokes and it's all brought into the 21st Century with continuous steadicam photography, mobile phones and jokes about condoms. TV names like Jennifer Anniston rub shoulders with Bogdanovich veterans Cybill Shepherd, Tatum O'Neal and the always welcome Austen Pendleton.
-
lee_eisenberg10 June 2016Peter Bogdanovich was one of the directors who came about in the late '60s to early '70s whose movies signaled the new direction that cinema would take. Unlike most of the directors, Bogdanovich incorporated nostalgia in his work. "Targets" cast Boris Karloff as an aging horror star; "The Last Picture Show" looked at the changes in a small town; "What's Up, Doc?" was a remake of "Bringing Up Baby"; "Paper Moon" focused on the Depression.
Bogdanovich continues this pattern with "She's Funny That Way", about an assortment of people involved in the production of a play. It references the old screwball comedies. It's not a masterpiece, but the mixture of comedy and relatable characters make it worth the while. Bogdanovich loosely references some of his own work by casting Cybill Shepherd in a supporting role and Tatum O'Neal in a cameo (there's an even more surprising cameo at the end).
An OK movie. -
namashi_11 October 2015Peter Bogdanovich's 'She's Funny That Way' is an entertaining, enjoyable film, thats amongst the best Screwball comedies in recent times. And the terrific ensemble, deliver excellently!
'She's Funny That Way' Synopsis: On the set of a playwright's new project, a love triangle forms between his wife, her ex-lover, and the call girl-turned-actress cast in the production.
'She's Funny That Way' is an absurd story, centered around a hooker (Imogen Poots). The series of events she witnesses in this eccentric comedy, is often hilarious. I was in splits when all of its characters came under one roof...its impossible not to laugh at their bizarre personalities.
Louise Stratten & Bogdanovich's Screenplay hits the right notes. The only glitch comes in the middle of the way, when the pace dips for a bit, as the Writing loosens. However, things come back on track & get funnier as this story comes to an end. Bogdanovich's Direction (Though Very Woody Allen) is skilled. The Legendary Storyteller has handled all the comedic portions, with flourish. Cinematography & Editing are superb. Art Design is perfect.
'She's Funny That Way' would've been a lesser joyride, if the casting would've been wrong. But, luckily here, everyone is cast right-on! Imogen Poots delivers a knockout performance as the protagonist, enacting the hooker under pressure, to perfection. Owen Wilson is effortlessly convincing, oozing naturalness throughout. Kathryn Hahn is a comedic force. What a performance! Rhys Ifans is as sleazy as it can get, while Will Forte has his moments. Jennifer Aniston is absolutely terrific as the irritated psychiatrist. Austin Pendleton & George Morfogen are in fine form, as well.
On the whole, 'She's Funny That Way' gets most of it right. Watch It! -
kosmasp5 April 2016Which is the "German" title the movie received when released there. They're funny that way ... But back to the movie, which is a very light affair (no pun intended) and has a lot of laughs and a really good vibe to it. There is much to like about this, especially if you like your comedy that way.
Imogen has a strange accent and some other actors go that way too, which may alienate some viewers, especially if they're used the persons to be doing different things. Like squirrels and ... not that's something else. You can sense though that every actor in this had fun shooting it and it translates onto the screen. A light but nice movie to watch -
screenwriter-972-14961216 June 2020She's Funny That Way has all the elements that Woody Allen would have knocked out of the park. Bogdonavitch barely gets to second base with his attempt. But there are good moments. Just about anytime Imogene Potts is delivering a line or reacting to the moment are highlights. Austin Pendleton was never better. Bogdonavitch can still use a camera, so even the group shots are interesting. And it's certainly fast paced. The lowlights? As usual, the Wilson brother who his horribly miscast as a director that women adore. He's predictably dreadful. What was surprising to me was an over the top bordering on annoying portrayal by Jennifer Anniston. Lots of cameos. Lots of near screwball comedy set ups complete with slamming hotel doors and women hiding in the bathroom. This film could have been so much more. But it came across looking like it was shot in a week with no retakes or tweaking. Even so, it's still better than most.
-
attennessee11 February 2021Poots's accent and acting are distractingly awful. ruined the film for me. wilson, douglas and aniston dependable as always but not enough to fix this mess.
all in all -- a nothing burger yawnfest that thinks slick dialogue and fast action will hide the vacuity, inanity and one unfortunate casting decision (a critical fumble). i saw it for free and still want my money back.
painful. 2/10 -
ksf-28 November 2022Directed by the late great bogdanovich. A bedroom farce about a show within a show. Right off, there's imogen poots doing a horrible, horrible new york accent. And she's british. Would have been better if she had just used her own accent, or maybe a plain murrican accent. A whole lot of flashback, but when a director is casting a film, the girl who shows up for an audition used to be his favorite call girl. Stars owen wilson, who has never been my favorite actor. I just don't believe his acting. Small roles for ileana douglas, cybill shepherd, tatum o'neal, jen aniston, austin pendleton (who had worked with bogdano on "what's up doc", one of my favorite films. ), joanna lumley (ab-fab!), quentin tarantino. Who isn't in this film??? Bogdanovich did such an amazing job on what's up doc, i had to watch this one. He only directed one more after this one; just passed away this year. LOVE the story. Love everyone except for the two leads...i wish they had cast others besides wilson and poots. But it still works.
-
JSmith12520 May 2015I wandered into this in a theater in Europe without realizing it was the work of Peter Bogdanovich. Even without knowing that, though, it was obvious that the movie was trying to recapture the spirit of the old screwball farce comedies, with many unsubtle allusions -- like a private detective in a Pink Panther getup, or a cameo by a famous director also known for borrowing from old films -- that were meant to clue us in that the whole thing was a riff on movies and filmmaking themselves. The problem is that the classic comedies of Hawks, Sturges, Lubitsch and the like, at their best, had something besides farcical events: great, witty writing, truly funny moments (not just "funny coincidences"), a clearer send-up of wealth and social class. I'm struggling to remember anything like that in "She's Funny That Way." It's just a few hours later, and I can't recall a single line (other than the one that keeps getting repeated, which we learn is also from an old movie). It had the right sort of situation, setting, musical underscoring, and the requisite "zany" characters and plot, but it felt to me kind of like an empty shell, the outward mold of a screwball comedy still waiting to be poured full of the really good stuff.
-
StevePulaski28 July 2015Peter Bogdanovich's She's Funny That Way is exactly the kind of film that isn't made any more; a manic, silly comedy helmed by an ensemble cast made for adults. The film adheres to the wry comedic style of Woody Allen, who rigorously churned out films like these in the 1970's and 1980's, and a style that Allen continues to play with in the modern day. With a breezy eighty minute runtime and a comedic cast that, for once, looks like they're actually having a great time with one another, this is a film that can skate by and leave you with a goofy grin on your face before cynicism even has time summon.
The film revolves around a hooker named Isabella Beatty (Imogen Poots), who became a Broadway thespian following a gracious break from Arnold Albertson (Owen Wilson), a Broadway director who frequents escorts despite being married to Delta (Kathryn Hahn), a Broadway star herself. Arnold is filthy rich, for that matter, and upon paying escorts for their services, he'll also gift them with $30,000 to get their life moving in the right direction, all under Delta's nose. Meanwhile, a playwright named Joshua (Will Forte) begins to fall in love with Isabella, despite dating Jane Claremont (Jennifer Aniston), a bitter and hot-tempered therapist. Finally, there's also Seth (Rhys Ifans), an actor of Arnold's who also frequents escort services whilst trying to balance his exploding level of popularity.
This conglomeration of characters make She's Funny That Way a film that consistently moves and never slows down. The persistent weaving and fluid profiling of each and every character in the film is what largely makes the film such a good time. While the characters may often be contemptible, the situational humor mimics the sort of awkwardness and indecisive etiquette occurrences examined in your average episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm, although with decidedly more theatricalities and far-fetched circumstances.
The cast here feels right at home. We have low-key performers that go under the radar far too often (Poots, Ifans, and Forte) and we have seasoned veterans trying their hand at the personalities they accentuate the best (Aniston and Wilson). Moreover, though, everyone feels like they're enjoying themselves. This isn't a film to take very seriously, nor is it a film that gets hung up on vulgarities and stupidity. It's the rare adult comedy with the energy of a kids film but the brazen personality that can accompany any night filled with wine, good friends - even a date - and a fulfilling dinner.
One of the biggest problems I've seen with American cinema is, despite R-rated comedies, few comedies are really designed for adults. Paradoxically, R-rated films like Get Hard and The Hangover sequels have jokes that would make teenagers laugh out loud, but many adults turn the other cheek, though they are the audience that will be allowed in the film at the local multiplex. She's Funny That Way is a film that bears a crass sense but in a way that isn't over-the-top or in love with the idea of making the viewer uncomfortable based on situations involving bodily fluids or intercourse. Co-writer (along with Louis Stratten) Bogdanovich works to make the film a more humble comedy, where the awkward situations are made funny by the characters and not the inanity of the situations themselves.
This is a smartly written film, one that really is elevated by the performers, though they, for once, aren't ostensibly trying to mask the low-level quality of the writing. She's Funny That Way packs a lot of manic energy in its eighty minutes, including great displays of character acting and plenty of nods to film lovers. Nuts to the squirrels indeed.
Starring: Owen Wilson, Imogen Poots, Will Forte, Jennifer Aniston, Kathryn Hahn, and Rhys Ifans. Directed by: Peter Bogdanovich. -
TxMike4 February 2016I watched this at home on DVD from my public library. My wife chose not to watch it, not her kind of comedy. It almost has a Woody Allen sensibility to it.
The story itself is being told by Imogen Poots (British actress using her best OTT fake Brooklyn accent) as Isabella Patterson. She is well-dressed and well-spoken and in the present time doing very well. But it hasn't always been that way, as we see in flashbacks that actually make up the movie.
She was an aspiring actress who still lived with her constantly quarreling parents, and she worked as a call girl to earn money to support herself and to help her parents. It was just a job to her.
Owen Wilson is a director, Arnold Albertson. He has traveled to New York to prepare for directing a new stage play, it will star his wife who is traveling over a day or two later with the kids. So alone in his hotel room Arnold calls an escort service and asks for 'Glo-stick', the pseudo that Isabella uses. They have a good time, he takes her out to dinner, they come back and sleep together, then he asks her to quit doing what she does, and he says he will give her $30,000 if she will quit. The money will help her start fresh and do something she wants with her life.
So we have a guy who gets horny, cheats on his wife, but has a generous streak that makes him want to help young ladies have a better life. An interesting concept and it is carried forward in this movie in a very entertaining way.
The cast is very good, the writing is inventive and witty, and as the story unfolds a number of interesting entanglements surface. It does not attempt to judge who might be right or who might be wrong, just glimpses into the lives of these interesting characters.
SPOILERS: The spit first hits the fan when the next day Isabella shows up to audition for a part in the play Arnold is directing and his wife is starring in. Of course he doesn't want her there, it would be awkward and dangerous for him but she is great and has to have the part. In other scenes Arnold happens upon several other young ladies who had been similarly helped with gifts of $30,000 to get fresh starts and each one thanks him for saving them. Of course his wife finds out and in the end Isabella is the only one who comes out smelling good in this whole mess. -
ishansharma-9560511 June 2023This movie ensures that the time used in watching this is not wasted at all. It remains funny throughout, probably because of its good star cast.
The story does not make sense at all. It doesn't have to, only serious movies have to make sense. The screenplay is fast and characters are interesting. There is no emotional moment in the movie. It only serves to entertain us. It suits well as a movie for a date.
The movie is driven by its interesting characters even the secondary characters are lively. The cinematography, the music and everything else play a subservient role.
Recommended for one time watch. -
ferdinand193231 May 2015Within 10 minutes it becomes apparent that this is a sub-Woody Allen heavily referenced 1930s screwball influenced - copied - movie.
As the product of a young man's devotion to that era and genre it might stand up, and, if interpreted to contemporary styling, be of some merit. That this is the work from a veteran is really quite sad.
It is boring, tedious, wordy and obvious with its various types, its psycho-farce plotting, which hinges on a comically exaggerated accented Poots doing her schtick as she explains the entire story.
This ought to be classified as a home movie and so only the team that made it should made to suffer it, say at Thanksgiving or Christmas. Then, they can snooze while it plays and utter platitudes to grandpa for making this pastiche of an old memory from his younger days. -
chriszeis4 June 2015Some people just want to type and hear themselves. It's a bit clicheezy, but they knew it. Brilliant in my mind. I haven't watched many movies lately that I would watch twice. This is a movie I will watch more than twice. Excellent writing and acting all around. Loved it. I think the psychology in this and stereo types all hit the mark. I have no idea how these writers can put on paper our daily lives and thoughts and then through humor on top. Woody Allen Screwball, yes but it is still original for our day. I would not change anything. People think at .02 before they interrupt or have a self conscious opinion. This folks new that.
-
HotToastyRag12 June 2017For the life of me, I can't figure out why this film was titled She's Funny That Way, but the odd title notwithstanding, this is one funny movie! It isn't funny in a modern way, either; it feels like a 1930s screwball comedy. Gone are the days when movies rely solely on verbal banter, but Peter Bogdanovich has created a classic for today's audiences.
The film alternates between the actual story and Imogen Poots's character's interview from after the story's end. She's different than any other role I've seen her in, and her very thick New York accent is quite adorable. Included in the fast-paced story is a cast of colorful characters including a womanizing playwright, a hooker with a heart of gold, and an incompetent therapist. Set in New York, with quick, clever dialogue, this film reminds me of a Woody Allen movie. Even Poots's over-the-top accent sounds like Allen coached her. So if you like his movies, you'll like this one. If you like classics, you'll like this one. If you like clever humor, well, you'll like this one. It's funny that way, you know? -
mariamtheshopgirl1 December 2018I laughed a lot while watching this movie, and it became one of these movies that I will never get sick of watching them over and over again.
-
leonblackwood31 August 2015Review: This is a very cleverly written movie with intertwining story lines that are funny and extremely coincidental. Its about a call girl, Isabella, who is telling a reporter how she got into show business. Basically, she is called out to a famous playwrights hotel were she spends the night and gets offered $30,000 to give up the call girl life so she can pursue her career in acting. After taking the money, she is offered a role as the lead in a play but all is not what it seems. I don't want to spoil the movie for people by going into the story too much because there are many shocking moments which made the film a great watch. The acting is great from the whole cast but I did find Isabella's voice annoying. With that aside, there is enough material and different elements to keep you entertained and the brilliant ending brought light to a extremely tricky situation. I personally liked Jennifer Anistons character, who really didn't care about anybody's feeling at all and there are some other cameos like Cybill Shepherd, Richard Lewis, Michael Shannon and Quentin Tarantino near the end so the director put together a great cast for this project. Its just a shame that it didn't get a big distribution campaign behind it! Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and the brilliant writing and smart wit made it a joy to watch. Enjoyable!
Round-Up: Imogen Poots, 26, wouldn't have been my first choice for this movie because of her accent and her innocent persona but the script really did make the film enjoyable. She recently starred in Need for Speed, A Long Way Down, That Awkward Moment and the Look of Love and with 5 movies in the pipeline, she is building up a decent portfolio. Owen Wilson, 46, has made over 50 movies since his debut in Bottle Rocket in 1996. His movies have grossed nearly $2.5 Billion worldwide with Night of the Museum being his biggest earner at $575million. Now that's serious money! Anyway, the film was directed by Peter Bogdanovich, 76, who brought you movies like What's Up Doc? with Barbra Streisand, Paper Moon with Ryan O'Neal, Mask with Cher and the Thing Called Love with the late River Phoenix. This is his first big scale movie that he's directed since the Cats Meow in 2001 but he recently starred in While Were Young with Ben Stiller and Are You Here with Owen Wilson. He really done a good job with this Woody Allen type movie and the unpredictable script is full of drama and wit.
Budget: N/A Worldwide Gross: $1.6million
I recommend this movie to people who are into their witty comedies/drama about a call girl in New York who gets offered $30,000 to give up that life so she can pursue her career in acting. 6/10 -
SnoopyStyle2 September 2017Izzy Finkelstein/Isabella Patterson (Imogen Poots) recounts her story to reporter Judy (Illeana Douglas). It's four years earlier. Family-man director Arnold Albertson (Owen Wilson) arrives at his Manhattan hotel and calls for an escort. Vickie (Debi Mazar) sends Isabella over to the hotel. He gives her $30k to get out of sex work to pursue her acting dreams. Jane Claremont (Jennifer Aniston) is Izzy's callous therapist. Next, Izzy shows up at an audition for Arnold's play.
Peter Bogdanovich seems to be going for the Woody Allen vibe. Imogen Poots is trying for the Jersey girl hooker with a heart of gold. I can't get over the Brit pushing her accent work. Mira Sorvino was much better in this role. Aniston is playing an inappropriate therapist which borders between trying too hard and the only consistent wacky laughs. She's doing a different movie. The cast is top notch. Overall, the laughs don't come often enough but is enough to keep things interesting. -
rottninge11 December 2015Good casting. Overall not bad performances. Nothing wrong with the settings, the editing, or the camera-work. But something is missing and I can't put my finger on it...
One thing that irritated me was the music. It just didn't seem to fit. It felt more Italian/French than Broadway.
I felt like the story had one leg in the typical Hollywood comedy, and one leg in the more dialogue driven Woody Allen type movies, and that it couldn't decide. It also had some strands of British Mr Bean-/Benny Hillisch humor that really felt out of place. The scenes could have been better worked through in my opinion. They felt half baked. I guess the reason I can't put the finger on what I didn't like is because there's not one major thing that is wrong, but rather several small things that add up to my feeling.
If you tell me this is a remake of some French movie I will believe you right away. The original was probably better. -
richard-lyons1510 June 2015OK so it rips off Woody Allen, it also rips off the old British 'Brian Rix' farces, with people hiding in wardrobes, trying desperately to avoid each other, and trying to explain a situation that has built up to a crescendo and you know will lead to a punch on the nose. I found Jennifer Aniston to be slightly annoying, but the rest of the cast were brilliant, I laughed out loud at several of the situations, the glance at the toy squirrel on the glass (Squirrel to the nuts), the 'Detective' who is a 'master' of disguise (Great Rabbi!), and the Russian Hooker ("is ringing"). Imogen Poots 'Brooklyn' accent had me convinced in the same way that Renee Zellweger's 'British' accent would convince most Americans, so nothing to complain about there. All in all thoroughly enjoyable.
-
cressybee8 September 2015Seeing the cast of characters I thought this could go either way, and in this case it went straight downhill. Imogen Poots' voice coach was no good at all, her lack of ability exacerbated by the fact that IP's character did lots of talking. The whole thing felt like one of Woody Allen's recent movies, only even worse (is that possible?)
The characters weren't believable, the dialogue was snoozefestingly predictable.
What happened?
Peter Bogdanovich used to make such good movies.
I would save watching this for when you are dying and have no joy left in life. -
krkemp24 April 2016I loved this movie. It had definitely had a Woody Allen feel to it. The opening with the music of the 1930's... the neurotic characters getting entangled in ever more complex situations leading to many laughs... Others have compared the movie to "screwball comedies of old". Either way, it really works. A great cast of actors doing excellent comedy. Even Jennifer Aniston made me laugh quite a few times! Imogen Poots was amazing! Perfect comedy timing and quirkiness. Wonderful. Owen Wilson was sort of reprising his "Midnight in Paris" character a bit but he was great too! I loved it from beginning to end. It's a lighthearted movie with lots of laughs that will leave you feeling good. Highly recommended.
-
tboneincali8 June 2015Great film about a sexually intertwined couple who's lives are turned upside down through prostitution, love, a penchant for the unknown and a desire for something different.
I was supremely disappointing that the director basically copied everything Woody Allen has built his career on. Even the soundtrack was straight out of his play book. It seems that Wilson has gravitated towards films that Allen has or would have directed in the past only he's a much less believable character than the one's cast in Allen's former films; I suppose that's what makes Wilson even more believable though; the fact that an everyday man/woman can fall in and out of love in all it's varying forms.
The cast was seller, however the way in which their lives intertwine is definitely not something new, nor for that matter is the fact that connection/desire/love can be found in numerous ways with numerous people. But, I was left feeling that the director was implying that love is merely the desire for connection to something or someone new. It's classic Allen and if you like his films, you'll enjoy this one. It leaves one asking questions, and leaves one feeling a bit brokenhearted that perhaps all we're searching for is an honest comedy that makes us question why we psychoanalyze everything that is merely a new and interesting way to share our feelings with those around us. -
rightisright16 April 2019So much effort by so many people put into making this flat boring mess. Yes there are a lot of pretty people to look at, and so many famous people. But, Ick. Just ick.