InformationRap This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Casey Duggan It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

Paynbob It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Celia A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

BaronVonCount Woody Allen always promises so much, with most of his his movies having such really great concepts, that they make most directors seem trivial. Unfortunately, probably because he feels compelled to put out a movie per year whether the script or production merit it, Woody Allen often falls way short of his promise. Even when he actually delivers a fine movie like "Midnight in Paris' it feels like with another few months honing the script would have made it into a much better film might even put him on the same plane as his beloved Bergman. In Hollywood Ending, which has the imaginative premise of a blind director, an idea which could have produced something brilliant handled by an in-form Woody falls shrorer than ever due to a half-baked script with some classic lines, but far too few, but mostly due to Woody's unconvincing portrayal of a blind person. While often a great lead in his films, here he is seen time after time talking in the opposite direction of the person he is supposed to be conversing with, which would make sense if he was deaf as well as blind, but just looks totally unconvincing here. Coupled with a so-so script and no really strong supporting roles this made for his weakest effort of all time. As usual the score is wonderful, but there isn't much else to recommend it.

oOoBarracuda I'm ready to admit a struggle in Woody Allen's filmography. I don't know if it was DreamWorks Studios attempt to curtail Woody Allen to more family-friendly fare, or if Allen actually did experience a rough patch in creativity, but the early 2000's so far have been underwhelming. Watching The Curse of the Jade Scorpion and Hollywood Ending back to back, I was most stricken by the seeming lack of direction the two films shared in common. Both films had a plot that just seemed to ebb and flows throughout the film rather than being catapulted through by a witty and strong script as I've grown accustomed to from a Woody Allen film. Hollywood Ending was Woody's 2002 film starring Woody Allen and Téa Leoni as a divorced pair working in the entertainment industry who work together once more for perhaps old times sake or retribution. Val Waxman (Woody Allen) is an Oscar-winning director whose reputation for being difficult having preceded him resulting in his lull in offers for work. Ellie (Téa Leoni) divorced Val 10-years prior after leaving him for a studio head whom she currently works with. Despite their past, Ellie believes that Val is the perfect director for a $60 million project "The City that Never Sleeps". Val has "the city of New York in his D.N.A. and goes to bat for him being considered as the director for the project. Against all odds, Val gets the job despite his dismay that his ex-wife is the one that was pushing for him so intently. The stress of a big film project, working with his ex-wife, and the troubled relationship with his son has resulted in a psycho-sematic case of blindness. Unable to see, Val and those closest to him create an elaborate ruse to hide that fact from the studio heads long enough for him to finish the film. Once Ellie finds out, Val expects her to out him to her studio executive boyfriend immediately, instead, she helps him hide his temporary blindness and the two rekindle their relationship.It's hard to believe one of the greatest American screenwriters is responsible for such a trope as Hollywood Ending. The script was clever in parts but overall suffered from poor pacing and a storyline which left little to engage with. The scene in which Woody was giving his side of an argument with Ellie to be interrupted by the man at the next table was reminiscent of Annie Hall in a beautiful way. Hollywood Ending was tough to get through and may have suffered a bit from being part of my Woody Allen retrospective project. The film probably isn't as bad on its own but watching it against several other Woody Allen films where it seemed like the director never missed left me thoroughly underwhelmed by it.

alicemarneff Hollywood Ending which is Woody Allen's 33th movie was released in 2002. This comedy featuring Woody Allen himself in the role of Val Waxman, Tea Leoni and George Hamilton takes place in Allen's favorite set : New York. Val Waxman, an underestimated movie director, receives a proposal out of the blue to direct a big budget movie from his formal wife's new boyfriend : Ed (G. Hamilton). Val's agent forces him to accept the project when he is suddenly reached by a psychosomatic disease that makes him blind. I totally loved this gripping and entertaining comedy ! Once again Allen made us cry laughing with his impressive scenario. His acting was brilliant as usual thanks to his body language that emphasize the seriousness of the disease which is funny of course. Woody Allen's genius to create misunderstandings, like the scene where he thinks his talking to someone when he is actually talking to an empty space, is a talent that I really appreciate. I would recommend this movie to everyone specially people who wants to laugh a lot ! By the way I have never been disappointed by any of Allen's movies.

Werewearer Woody Allen can get any actor he wants to be in his films because he's Woody Allen, so this film has a great cast. Tea Leoni, Treat Williams, George Hamilton to name a few. The comedy is subtle; so much so, it's almost on life-support. Allen's comedy is absurd and fun and that's entertaining, but there are only a few big laughs.The conflict: If you believe Woody's character, movie-director Val, is really worried about his career's impending demise, and that's the premise at the start, you're alone, but the suspense does kick in when Val loses his sight.Unfortunately, the psychosomatic blindness is milked through the entire movie, much to its detriment. There are two possible reasons Val goes blind: 1. He is blinded by his alienation from his son, or 2. he's blinded by his ex-wife, Ellie's (Tea Leoni) engagement to a megalomania-cal screen mogul, Hal (Treat Williams). One of these two plot-lines takes the lame-red-herring-award-of-the-decade.About the performances: Tea Leoni should have been nominated for an Oscar. She owned the film. Debra Messing, who plays Val's live-in dumb girlfriend Lori, puts on a 1940 period costume to act in Val's movie. Messing is the spitting image of Ingrid Bergman, in particular the hair-do and nose. Spooky. Treat Williams has never been better as the controlling, manipulative movie producer. George Hamilton has big laugh lines. Woody's Val is effective, but a little flat.I blinked many times because the whole movie seemed to have been filmed in a lengthy master shot. I never notice the close-ups in Woody's movies. Maybe it's the cinematography. this film is fun because there are so many wonderful characters in the frame at any one moment.