“‘Allen v. Farrow’: A Scathing Indictment Of Woody Allen Is Also Terribly Heavy-Handed & Undermining”

How does anyone talk about a subject as sensitive as Woody Allen’s sexual assault record, contextualized in a documentary as mediocre as Allen v. Farrow, without sounding like a jerk? I half-regretted seeking the review assignment for this one, because let’s be real, I really like getting paid for my work but I also don’t really like courting controversy. Allen v. Farrow is controversy, or, being more specific, a spotlight on controversy.

I make this clear in the review, but the miniseries does one thing very well, and that’s put Dylan Farrow in a comfortable space for telling her truth; when she’s talking, the stage is all hers, no one else’s, and in these moments I think the exercise justifies itself. Mostly, it’s overwrought filmmaking wrapped around a bunch of information anyone who’s been paying attention for the last thirty plus years that this crime has been routinely litigated in the media should already know. Forgive me if I don’t see a lot of value or necessity in that.

You can read my full thoughts over at The Playlist.