''Irrational Man'' is a 2015 American
mystery comedy drama
Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...
film written and directed by
Woody Allen
Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...
, and starring
Jamie Blackley
Jamie Alexander Blackley (born 8 July 1991) is a Manx born British actor. He is known for his role as Adam Wilde in the film '' If I Stay''.
Biography
Blackley was born in Douglas, Isle of Man, and was raised in London, England, with his fathe ...
,
Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Rafael Phoenix ( ; ; born October 28, 1974) is an American actor. Widely described as one of the most preeminent actors of his generation and known for Joaquin Phoenix filmography, his roles as dark, unconventional and eccentric charact ...
,
Parker Posey, and
Emma Stone
Emily Jean "Emma" Stone (born November 6, 1988) is an American actress and film producer. Her accolades include two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. In 2017, she was the world's highest-paid actr ...
. The film had its world premiere at the
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world.
Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...
on May 16, 2015. It was given a
limited theatrical release
__FORCETOC__
Limited theatrical release is a film distribution strategy of releasing a new film in a few cinemas across a country, typically art house theaters in major metropolitan markets. Since 1994, a limited theatrical release in the Unite ...
in the United States on July 17, 2015, by
Sony Pictures Classics
Sony Pictures Classics Inc. is an American arthouse film production and distribution company that is a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment. It was founded in 1992 by former Orion Classics heads Michael Barker, Tom Bernard and Marcie Bloo ...
, followed by a
wide release
In the motion picture industry, a wide release (short for nationwide release) is a film playing at the same time at cinemas in most markets across a country. This is in contrast to the formerly common practice of a roadshow theatrical release in ...
on August 7.
Plot
Philosophy professor Abe Lucas joins the faculty at Braylin College in
Rhode Island
Rhode Island ( ) is a state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Connecticut to its west; Massachusetts to its north and east; and the Atlantic Ocean to its south via Rhode Island Sound and Block Is ...
. He is experiencing an
existential crisis
Existential crises are inner conflicts characterized by the impression that life lacks meaning and confusion about one's personal identity. They are accompanied by anxiety and stress, often to such a degree that they disturb one's normal funct ...
, depressed, sees no meaning in his life, and drinks excessively. Despite this, he catches the eye of two women: chemistry professor Rita Richards, and Jill Pollard, one of his students.
Jill is in a serious relationship with Roy and lives with her parents. Rita lives with her husband, but is dissatisfied with her marriage. Abe chooses to sleep with Rita but is careful to maintain a strictly platonic relationship with Jill. His depression becomes even more apparent when he fails to get an erection during his first sexual encounter with Rita.
At lunch in a diner, Abe and Jill overhear a conversation in the next booth; a woman says she will lose her children in a custody battle because of an unethical judge in family court. He is troubled by the injustice and decides to secretly help the woman by murdering the judge. Abe reasons he is unlikely to be caught because he does not know the judge.
Having found a new purpose in life, Abe's depression is lifted. He becomes happier and is able to have sex with Rita. He follows the judge for a while to learn his habits. After his weekly jog, the judge always buys a juice and sits on a bench to cool down. Abe decides that the best way to kill him is to poison him. He steals a key to the college's chemistry lab from Rita where he procures
cyanide
In chemistry, cyanide () is an inorganic chemical compound that contains a functional group. This group, known as the cyano group, consists of a carbon atom triple-bonded to a nitrogen atom.
Ionic cyanides contain the cyanide anion . This a ...
. He buys a juice from the same place the judge stops at, puts the poison in his juice cup, sits down on the same bench, then switches the juices while the judge is distracted.
The judge dies from
cyanide poisoning
Cyanide poisoning is poisoning that results from exposure to any of a number of forms of cyanide. Early symptoms include headache, dizziness, fast heart rate, shortness of breath, and vomiting. This phase may then be followed by seizures, slo ...
. Abe feels reborn, telling himself he has finally done something worthwhile by ridding the world of an evil man. His and Jill's friendship blossoms into a romance. Roy learns of the relationship and breaks up with her.
Despite Abe's careful planning, Jill and Rita, who are friendly, begin to suspect Abe's involvement in the murder after piecing together clues, such as the missing key and Abe's presence in the chemistry lab. Rita decides that even if he is guilty, she wants to leave her husband and live with Abe.
Jill breaks into Abe's house through a window and discovers incriminating notes. When she confronts him, Abe admits his guilt. She decides to end their romance. Jill pressures Abe to surrender himself to the police when an innocent man is accused of the crime, warning him that she will report him.
Abe, who has lately begun to appreciate life, tries to murder Jill by shoving her down an elevator shaft, but trips and falls down the shaft to his death. Some time later, Jill, who has reconciled with Roy, stares out at the sea and reflects on her experiences with Abe.
Cast
Production

On May 2, 2014, it was announced that
Woody Allen
Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...
would write and direct an upcoming film in which
Joaquin Phoenix
Joaquin Rafael Phoenix ( ; ; born October 28, 1974) is an American actor. Widely described as one of the most preeminent actors of his generation and known for Joaquin Phoenix filmography, his roles as dark, unconventional and eccentric charact ...
would star.
On May 6,
Emma Stone
Emily Jean "Emma" Stone (born November 6, 1988) is an American actress and film producer. Her accolades include two Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. In 2017, she was the world's highest-paid actr ...
joined the cast, marking her second film collaboration with Allen, as she previously co-starred in Allen's romantic comedy ''
Magic in the Moonlight'' in 2014.
On July 24,
Parker Posey and
Jamie Blackley
Jamie Alexander Blackley (born 8 July 1991) is a Manx born British actor. He is known for his role as Adam Wilde in the film '' If I Stay''.
Biography
Blackley was born in Douglas, Isle of Man, and was raised in London, England, with his fathe ...
also joined the cast of the film, which Allen produced along with his sister
Letty Aronson
Ellen Letty Aronson (née Konigsberg;Hoffman, Barbara"Woody and his sister" ''The New York Post'', October 15, 2011 born November 30, 1943) is an American film producer. She is the younger sister of writer and director Woody Allen.
Personal lif ...
and
Stephen Tenenbaum.
Principal photography
Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production.
Personnel
Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...
began on July 7, 2014, in
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island, United States. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, and nort ...
, and lasted until late August. The campus of
Salve Regina University
Salve Regina University is a private coeducational Roman Catholic university in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. It was founded in 1934 by the Sisters of Mercy and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. The univer ...
in Newport served as the location for the fictional Braylin College. Crews were spotted filming outside at The Fastnet Pub in Newport.
The film was the last produced by
Jack Rollins, who had produced Allen's films since the beginning of his filmmaking career in the late 1960s, before his death in June 2015.
Release
On January 29, 2015, it was announced that
Sony Pictures Classics
Sony Pictures Classics Inc. is an American arthouse film production and distribution company that is a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment. It was founded in 1992 by former Orion Classics heads Michael Barker, Tom Bernard and Marcie Bloo ...
had acquired all North American rights to the film, marking it the eighth Woody Allen film to be released by Classics. The film's first
trailer was released on April 29, 2015.
The film had its world premiere at the
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world.
Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around ...
on May 16, 2015.
The film began a
limited theatrical release
__FORCETOC__
Limited theatrical release is a film distribution strategy of releasing a new film in a few cinemas across a country, typically art house theaters in major metropolitan markets. Since 1994, a limited theatrical release in the Unite ...
in the United States on July 17, 2015, and later a
wide release
In the motion picture industry, a wide release (short for nationwide release) is a film playing at the same time at cinemas in most markets across a country. This is in contrast to the formerly common practice of a roadshow theatrical release in ...
on August 7.
Reception
Box office
''Irrational Man'' grossed $4 million in the United States and Canada, and $23.4 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $27.4 million.
Critical response
''Irrational Man'' received mixed reviews from critics. On the
review aggregator
A review aggregator is a system that collects reviews and ratings of products and services, such as films, books, video games, music, software, hardware, or cars. This system then stores the reviews to be used for supporting a website where user ...
website
Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
, the film holds an approval rating of 47% based on 206 reviews, with an average rating of 5.6/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "''Irrational Man'' may prove rewarding for the most ardent Joaquin Phoenix fans or Woody Allen apologists, but all others most likely need not apply."
Metacritic
Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...
, which uses a
weighted average
The weighted arithmetic mean is similar to an ordinary arithmetic mean (the most common type of average), except that instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others. The ...
, assigned the film a score of 53 out of 100, based on 43 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Nicholas Bradshaw (born 19 June 1962) is a British writer and film critic. He has been chief film critic at ''The Guardian'' since 1999, and is a contributing editor at ''Esquire'' magazine.
Early life and education
Bradshaw was educat ...
of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' gave the film two stars out of five, stating, "''Irrational Man'' is another of the amiable but forgettable and underpowered ''jeux d'esprit'' that he produces with an almost somnambulist consistency and persistence. It's a tongue-in-cheek mystery which is neither quite scary and serious enough to be suspenseful, nor witty or ironic enough to count as a comedy."
Matt Zoller Seitz of ''
RogerEbert.com'' gave the movie 1.5 stars out of four, writing, "It is not merely a bad film. It is a collection of notes for a film that never quite evolved to the rough draft stage, much less cohered into a finished movie. That makes it more dispiriting than other notorious Woody Allen misfires, like ''
Celebrity
Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group due to the attention given to them by mass media. The word is also used to refer to famous individuals. A person may attain celebrity status by having great w ...
'' and ''
Curse of the Jade Scorpion'' and ''
Scoop
Scoop, Scoops or The Scoop may refer to:
Artefacts
* Scoop (machine part), a component of machinery to carry things
* Scoop (tool), a shovel-like tool, particularly one deep and curved, used in digging
* Scoop (theater), a type of wide area l ...
'', where at least you could kind of see what the filmmaker was going for, and sense the movie lurching in a certain direction even as it kept stumbling over its shoelaces and crashing into things."
Tim Robey of ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
'' stated, "The main problem is the philosophical purchase Allen thinks his film is gaining: far from profundity of any sort, it ultimately peddles the thesis that killing people out of daft, misplaced idealism isn't an especially wizard plan. Such schemes are all too apt to backfire – but Allen's old touch is missing here, and even the backfiring is a damp squib."
Richard Brody
Richard Brody (born January 22, 1958) is an American film critic, filmmaker and author.
Background
Brody grew up in Roslyn, New York. He is Jewish and has personally identified as an atheist. Brody attended Princeton University, receiving a B ...
of ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...
'' added, "when the Dostoyevskian drama kicks in, Allen's venomous speculations bring to the fore a tangle of conundrums and ironies, as if the director, nearing eighty, already had one foot in the next world and were looking back at this one with derision and rue." Eric Kohn of
IndieWire gave the film B grade, observing, "Now comes ''Irrational Man'', a similar fusion of Allen's dominant modes that's decidedly more minor, but still a competent showcase of the way the productive filmmaker's voice remains effective with the right synthesis of material and cast."
Notes
References
External links
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Irrational Man
2015 films
2015 comedy-drama films
2015 crime comedy films
2015 crime drama films
2015 independent films
2010s American films
2010s English-language films
2010s crime comedy-drama films
2010s mystery comedy-drama films
American crime comedy-drama films
American independent films
American mystery comedy-drama films
Films about poisonings
Films about scandalous teacher–student relationships
Films directed by Woody Allen
Films produced by Letty Aronson
Films produced by Stephen Tenenbaum
Films set in Rhode Island
Films set in universities and colleges
Films shot in Rhode Island
Films with screenplays by Woody Allen
Sony Pictures Classics films
English-language crime comedy-drama films
English-language independent films
English-language mystery comedy-drama films