Irrational Man
Director: Woody Allen
Year Released: 2015
Rating: 3.0
Philosophy professor Abe (Joaquin Phoenix), undergoing his own kind-of existential crisis (and dealing with severe depression and alcoholism), takes a new job at a college where he gets involved with a plucky student (Emma Stone) and discovers a thrilling way to feel better: committing the perfect crime by killing a (supposedly) corrupt judge and never getting caught. Though minor Allen, it does cover ethical and moral territory he's explored in past works (the masterful Crimes & Misdemeanors for one) and allows him the chance to bring up some of his own philosophical heroes (Kant, Sartre) and work with an eccentric talent in Phoenix. It feels quickly written and more or less the sketch of a deeper movie - the ending is a major disappointment (and kind of a cop-out) - but even a rough draft by a genius is better than a large amount of what Hollywood can come up with.
