Sleeper
"Divine comic madness! Sleeper is an inspired work!" -The Hollywood Reporter
Drawing on the great tradition of silent comedy, Sleeper is Woody Allen's first film to tame his verbal wit and showcase his emerging skill with visual and physical comedy. Starring Diane Keaton (directed by Allen for the first time), Sleeper is "a bizarre mixture of New York neuroses, splendidly lunatic sight gags, Alice-in-Wonderland illogic, and too-funny-to-be-painful satire" (Los Angeles Herald-Examiner).
When cryogenically preserved Miles Monroe (Allen) is awakened 200 years after a hospital mishap, he discovers the future's not so bright: all women are frigid, all men are impotent, and the world is ruled by an evil dictator - a disembodied nose! Pursued by the secret police and recruited by anti-government rebels with a plan to kidnap the dictator's snout before it can be cloned, Miles falls for the beautiful - but untalented - poet Luna (Diane Keaton). But when Miles is captured and reprogrammed by the government - to believe he's Miss America - it's up to Luna to save Miles, lead the rebels, and cut off the nose... just to spite its face.
Member Reviews
Sleeper - Derekstar
I'm trying to make my way through Woody Allen's pre-Annie Hall catelogue. The only gems I've stumbled across are Play It Again, Sam, and, to a lesser extent, Love and Death, which are genuinely great. Sleeper is probably in his second tier of pre-Annie Hall stuff, but that's not saying much. The situational stuff is a miss, and the visual flair that Allen has in his later work is totally absent in Sleeper. Surprisingly, Dianne Keaton's performance pulled the movie out of the gutter for me.What happens when you combine Chaplin, Kubrick and Bergman? - Tommer
The answer is Sleeper, beautifully shot, lots of slapstick, a hilarious send-up of sci-fi and physical comedy, with lots of 70's humour. Yes, it is dated, yes it is corny at times, but when one is in such wonderful company, do you care if not all the jokes work? Diane Keaton is wonderful, Woody is an amazing physical comedian (not always on display in his other films) and it's worth it for The Orb alone...Unique and Amusing Comedy ... If you like Woody Allen ... - TheShamus
Whether you are a Woody Allen fan or not, Allen shows his pedigree by co-writing, directing and starring in "Sleeper". He even plays clarinet on the movie soundtrack. The main genre here is comedy -- but it squarely lampoons the Sci-Fi genre.
Allen plays a character who is awakened 200 years after a cryogenic sleep ... and is being asked to infiltrate the current government to assist the resistance movement. The concept itself is comedic, the sets are functional but purposefully minimalist. Allen is more "slapstick" than the regular neurotic guy we see over and over in his movies (although that guy is definitely mixed in with the character).
I didn't really care about the characters ... the concept was interesting ... and certainly there are plenty or original ideas (like the "orgasmatron" ... a modern sex substitute). I like the method acting with the "intoxication orb". There are unique and funny ideas here.
I imagine this movie was funnier with more contemporary audience. The idea of biometrics and genetic engineer (of food and people) was a fairly novel idea ... it is now far less than science fiction.
The bottom line. If you like Woody Allen films, this is worth a watch. If you have never seen a Woody Allen film, start with "Annie Hall". If you loath Woody Allen ... you will hate him even more after this film.
Several lists (including the American Film Institute) rank this film on their Top 100 Funniest Movies. I'm not sure it still ranks there (but this is a unique, amusing movie).
/\/\/\/\ the Shamus /\/\/\/\
Member Reviews
Read All...
Sleeper - Derekstar
I'm trying to make my way through Woody Allen's pre-Annie Hall catelogue. The only gems I've stumbled across are Play It Again, Sam, and, to a lesser extent, Love and Death, which are genuinely great. Sleeper is probably in his second tier of pre-Annie Hall ...What happens when you combine Chaplin, Kubrick and Bergman? - Tommer
The answer is Sleeper, beautifully shot, lots of slapstick, a hilarious send-up of sci-fi and physical comedy, with lots of 70's humour. Yes, it is dated, yes it is corny at times, but when one is in such wonderful company, do you care if not all the jokes ...Unique and Amusing Comedy ... If you like Woody Allen ... - TheShamus
Whether you are a Woody Allen fan or not, Allen shows his pedigree by co-writing, directing and starring in "Sleeper". He even plays clarinet on the movie soundtrack. The main genre here is comedy -- but it squarely lampoons the Sci-Fi genre.
Allen ...