
Café Society
2016, Comedy/Romance, 1h 36m
258 Reviews 10,000+ RatingsWhat to know
critics consensus
Café Society's lovely visuals and charming performances round out a lightweight late-period Allen comedy whose genuine pleasures offset its amiable predictability. Read critic reviews
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Where to watch
Café Society Photos
Movie Info
Looking for an exciting career, young Bobby Dorfman leaves New York for the glitz and glamour of 1930s Hollywood. After landing a job with his uncle, Bobby falls for Vonnie, a charming woman who happens to be his employer's mistress. Settling for friendship but ultimately heartbroken, Bobby returns to the Bronx and begins working in a nightclub. Everything falls into place when he finds romance with a beautiful socialite, until Vonnie walks back into his life and captures his heart once again.
Cast & Crew
Jesse Eisenberg
Bobby
Bobby
Kristen Jaymes Stewart
Vonnie
Vonnie
Steve Carell
Aaron
Aaron
Blake Lively
Veronica
Veronica
Corey Stoll
Ben
Ben
Parker Posey
Rad
Rad
Critic Reviews for Café Society
Audience Reviews for Café Society
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Jul 18, 2017Lighthearted and fun, Café Society is a witty satire from Woody Allen. The story follows a young man who moves out to Hollywood hoping to work for his uncle in the movie business and he soon falls in love. Featuring Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Steve Carell, and Blake Lively, the film has an impressive cast that delivers some strong performances. And Allen's dialog is especially well-written, with a lot of clever commentary on Hollywood. Additionally, the sets and costumes look and feel authentic to the 1930s. However, the plot kind of meanders a bit and doesn't do a lot of character development. Yet while it has its problems, Café Society is an entertaining and charming film that delivers some good laughs.Dann M Super Reviewer
-
Jun 10, 2017It has its moments, but just not enough of them to make it more than a just okay movie. Though there are a few stories and characters running through this, I think at heart it is a love story about Bobby and Vonnie. Both of whom end up with different and perfectly okay partners. I honestly couldn't tell what the point this movie is trying to make is. Is it the decency of being faithful to your partner or the sadness of longing for someone else? Maybe it's up to the viewer to decide. I thought personally that Veronica was the better choice, so the former for me.Nicki M Super Reviewer
-
Dec 30, 2016An interesting and well acted period drama showing the heady days of Hollywood in the 1930s. I haven't seen many Woody Allen films but the ones I have seen, like this, I always enjoy.Ian W Super Reviewer
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Dec 13, 2016A rom-com with a mix of Hollywood flare and a gangster touch, Café Society brings the charm of Hail Caesar and the wit of Goodfellas. Perhaps those are two vastly different extremes, but like any Hollywood story, there's plenty of unexpected comedy along the way. Although Woody Allen doesn't do a ton of acting anymore, he seems to have found a worthy actor in Jesse Eisenberg to continue the routine of having awkward, neurotic, and charismatic male characters to head his romantic comedies. 1930's Hollywood and New York are mere backdrops to this messy family drama. Eisenberg is joined by Steve Carrell, Kristen Stewart, Blake Lively, and Corey Stoll. But as with many Woody Allen films, the star is Allen himself. His direction lacks exactly that, direction. As Eisenberg's character goes to Hollywood with dreams of doing something, without having an idea of exactly what, that's kind of how the film goes as well. Allen does some interesting things with his characters but I failed to see the point. It's far more simplistic than most of Allen's other films. As expected, the cinematography is beautiful and presents a nice background setting of 1930's New York and Hollywood respectively. You definitely get a sense of the dreaminess of Hollywood and the much more straight forward lifestyle of New Yorkers. Both are great in their own ways, but they do present a problem thematically. Whether it was intentional or not, when the film, switches its setting, the tone completely shifts and thus the film is frustratingly uneven. Could be a choice made by Allen, but a fluid film is always better than a jarring or uneven picture. To his credit, Allen always casts his films well. Eisenberg could not be more perfect for his role as Bobby Dorfman, which is part of the reason why I can't say his performance was even impressive. He's perfect for the role because these are the exact same characters he always plays. I want to see him challenge himself more, and not in a film like Batman v Superman. The role should not be written for him, he should have to adjust his performance to fit the film. To me, that's the reason I felt it was hard to connect to Dorfman, I'm not sure Eisenberg had to do a ton of prep to get into character. But maybe that's why the role is perfect for him. Either way, the movie isn't good enough to garner any more dissection and it isn't bad enough to deserve any more attention. It's just okay. +Setting, backdrop +Allen's writing +Eisenberg is Dorfman -But that's because he's essentially playing himself -Uneven in tone 6.3/10Thomas D Super Reviewer
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