Irrational Man

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Irony of Fate - The concept that the Gods, Fates, etc. are toying with humans for amusement by using irony(Urban Dictionary definition). Do you like irony, paradox, incongruity? Then you might enjoy Woody Allen's latest movie, Irrational Man, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone. Phoenix plays Abe, a philosophy professor, who has made the circuit of several liberal arts colleges but always needs to move on. He arrives for the summer term at a small Rhode Island College where the "buzz" surrounding his arrival focuses on his libido. We soon find out, right from Jill (played by Emma Stone) who declares that he is in despair. And so he is. Drinking does not help, romance or more properly sex isn't working either. We see bits of his philosophy lectures. They actually make some sense even if you are not an expert on such philosophers as Soren Kierkegaard, Hegel or Kant. Rita, a chemistry professor is searching for a way to leave her husband and decides to seduce Abe. Shortly thereafter, Jill (I thought it was Jo for most of the movie) one of his students makes a play for him as well. It is good to stop here and note that Phoenix must be a pretty good actor for the viewer to believe both of these good looking, bright women fall for him. Abe, on the other hand, can find no joy of life until one day he and Jill overhear a conversation from a neighboring booth in a diner about a woman is may lose her children because of a corrupt judge. Suddenly, Abe is enlivened as he decides to do something about this situation. Irony? Well, early in the movie Abe and Jill go to a carnival and Abe wins a prize for Jill by choosing the correct number on a wheel. Instead of a stuffed toy, she chooses a small red flashlight. Hence the irony as you will see. By the way Sophie von Haselberg plays April another student and the second I saw her, I suspected she is Bette Midler's daughter; which she is! Even though this movie is a tad slow, it is only 96 minutes and interesting if not terrific.

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