Un jour de pluie à New York (A Rainy Day in New York)

The Deauville American Film Festival for its forty-fifth edition could not have dreamed of a better film to kick off the festivities. A Rainy Day in New York (Un jour de pluie à New York) is the fifty-first film by a gifted screenwriter and director who has no equal in bringing to life such lively characters who symbolize to perfection our contemporary society. His filmography bears witness to that of one of today's greatest directors who has never wanted to waste his talent in the service of the major Hollywood studios and who has managed to make his way while preserving his work and highlighting themes that are close to his heart. It is easy to understand that many actors whose careers have destined them to play in blockbusters, most of them successful, find in his films a way to regain the pleasure of acting, to give life to characters really worked on.

A Rainy Day in New York works all the more because it allows the director to deal with a subject he knows perfectly well, that of independent American cinema. He thus gives the floor to a young student couple, Gatsby and Ashleigh, who instead of spending a romantic weekend in New York, will finally see their couple dissolve due to irreconcilable inspirations.

Ashleigh (Elle Fanning always so perfect) is passionate about cinema and sees this escapade in New York as a way to interview one of her favorite directors, Roland Pollard (Liev Schreiber) but his interview will not go as planned and will lead her into multiple adventures in which she will meet a screenwriter deceived by his wife by his best friend, Ted Davidoff (Jude Law), an actor adored by the audience, Francisco Vega (Diego Luna) but also learns the hard way that being a journalist means having real ethics and not sleeping with the first actor who comes along. The actress Elle Fanning brings all her undeniable charm and fragility to her character and gives this film an unexpected vitality and above all makes it impossible for viewers not to simply fall in love with such a female character.

The young Gatsby (Timothée Chalamet confirms once again that he is the best actor of his generation) having to ignore the absence of his girlfriend, takes advantage of his time to hang out in the streets of New York. By chance, he meets several of his former classmates and is even offered a short role in a film that is being shot by one of them. His route will thus make him cross paths with the little sister of one of his former girlfriends, Chan (beautiful Selena Gomez). He will also confront his very possessive and cult mother in order to give his children the best possible university education and also to ensure that his children marry people of the same rank. The director Woody Allen settles some scores with these big American families by reminding them where they come from (the scene between Gatsby and his mother is very eloquent on this subject).

If A Rainy Day in New York works perfectly and is easily related to one of Woody Allen's best films, it's because nothing is left to chance. The editing is perfect and gives the film real emotional strength by chasing away all unnecessary futility. The music used and chosen with great care by a true jazz lover like Woody Allen gives the film a timeless richness and class. It is no coincidence that the character of Gatsby likes to play poker as much as he likes to play the piano in the clubs of certain hotels. While today's cinema tends to find a perfect formula and apply it without any real reflection, Woody Allen restores its letters of nobility to cinema and shows us that far from the surge of outrageous special effects, true cinema must first of all be based on a script, an inspired director and actors giving the best of themselves.

The cast of the film worthy of the greatest Hollywood films of today, including Timothée Chalamet (Gatsby), Elle Fanning (Ashleigh), Selena Gomez (Chan), Jude Law (Ted Davidoff), Liev Schreiber (Roland Pollard), Diego Luna (Francisco Vega), Annaleigh Ashford (Lily), Rebecca Hall (Connie), shows that director Woody Allen has always been sure to surround himself with great actors.

A Rainy Day in New York easily establishes itself as one of the best films of this year and whatever the US press says, a film that is urgently needed.

A Rainy Day in New York (Un jour de pluie à New York)
A film written and directed by Woody Allen
Produced by Letty Aronson, Erika Aronson
With Timothée Chalamet, Elle Fanning, Selena Gomez, Jude Law, Diego Luna, Liev Schreiber
Cinematography: Vittorio Storaro
Edited by Alisa Lepselter
Production: Gravier Productions, Perdido Productions
Release date: July 26, 2019 (Poland), September 6, 2019 (Deauville American Film Festival), September 18, 2019 (France), October9, 2020 (USA)
Duration: 92 minutes

Seen on September 6, 2019 at the Centre International de Deauville
Reviewed September 20, 2019 at Gaumont Disney Village, Room 16 seat A18

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