| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Movie Name | The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001) |
| Director | Woody Allen |
| Writer | Woody Allen |
| Lead Actor | Woody Allen |
| Cast | Woody Allen, Helen Hunt, Dan Aykroyd, Charlize Theron, David Ogden Stiers |
| Genre | Comedy, Crime, Fantasy |
| Release Date | August 24, 2001 (United States) |
| Duration | 1h 43m |
| Budget | $33 million |
| Language | English |
| IMDb Rating | 6.6/10 |
In one of Fellini’s great films (Cabiria), the innocent heroine falls under the spell of a stage hypnotist and is mocked for her simple faith in true love. Woody Allen, who has been borrowing from Fellini for years, uses this situation for comic effect. Co-workers (Allen and Helen Hunt) who dislike each other are made to fall goofily in love under nightclub hypnosis.
The sinister hypnotist puts Allen and Hunt in a trance to pull off burglaries of precious jewels, using their insider knowledge as insurance operatives. (Eventually, somebody says the basic truth about hypnosis. A person can’t be made to do something that he or she wouldn’t do in real life.)
Much of the hilarity comes from the frequent instant switching (normal to trance, hate to love), plus the fact that the characters are trying to solve the crimes. Such blatantly broad hypnotism humor has had little exposure since the golden age of the Three Stooges.
Curse is set in 1940 (Woody’s favorite era). His character is a sexist, politically incorrect shamus of the time. Hunt plays a more improbable feminist precursor, so there is plenty of mutual irritation. He “Never trust a woman who whistles for her cab.” She (in a charming mixed metaphor) “He’s not man enough to be a cat burglar.”
Despite nostalgic sepia images, the usual Allen wit, jazz background and plot simplicity, Curse is several cuts below Allen’s last two films (Small Time Crooks, Sweet and Lowdown), but still among the best adult flicks in recent months. Satisfactory for viewers in search of unstressful entertainment.
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