Mighty Aphrodite(1995)
"Of all human weaknesses, obsession is the most dangerous, and the silliest!"
Overview
When Lenny and his wife, Amanda, adopt a baby, Lenny realizes that his son is a genius and becomes obsessed with finding the boy's biological mother in hopes that she will be brilliant too. But when he learns that Max's mother is Linda Ash, a kindhearted prostitute and porn star, Lenny is determined to reform her immoral lifestyle. A Greek chorus chimes in to relate the plot to Greek mythology in this quirky comedy.
Woody Allen
Screenplay
Woody Allen
Director
Top Billed Cast
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Written on June 8, 2023
A Manhattan scriptwriter (Woody Allen) meets the young mother of his adopted boy, a hooker (Mira Sorvino), and tries to help her situation. Meanwhile, his wife (Helena Bonham Carter) is caught up in her ambitious work as a curator of art galleries, not to mention the serious flirting of a colleague (Peter Weller). A Greek chorus occasionally chimes in (F. Murray Abraham, etc.), linking the story to that of Oedipus.
“Mighty Aphrodite” (1995) is a quirky comedy set in Manhattan, which is unsurprising with Woody at the helm. The heart of the plot, described in my title blurb above, is reminiscent of “Hardcore” (1979) minus the gravity.
Both Helena and Mira were in their prime and look great in totally opposite ways. The flick is amusing, touching and ironic. I enjoyed the audacious Greek chorus element, something few filmmakers could pull off, but Woody does so effortlessly.
The movie runs 1 hour, 35 minutes, and was shot in Manhattan with the Greek chorus scenes done at Teatro Greco on Sicily, Italy.
GRADE: B
