A very entertaining film with a great plot and great actors. Probably WA's best. John Cusack shines in this film.

It starts off strong, but halfway through the film, a narration inexplicably begins, causing it to fall flat. The old adage "show, don't tell" is blatantly ignored here. The voice-over merely repeats what’s happening on screen. For instance, "And she walked on stage"—yes, we can see that. Why is the narration suddenly necessary? It adds nothing to the plot and just made me think, "Why am I wasting time on this when I could be cleaning my bathroom?"

"I'm an Artist!" yells playwright David Shayne (John Cusack) at his agent Julian Marx (Jack Warden), to start off the film. Shayne is obsessed with artistic integrity, and nobody is going to tamper with the content of his plays, no matter how badly they may need some tweaking for commercial success. Because while all of his plays are considered literary gems, they have been commercial flops. And nobody wants to back his new play financially. But then, Fate comes a-tempting. His agent bumped into an old acquaintance - a Mob boss. The Mob boss has a girlfriend, Olive, who dances as a chorus girl but dreams of being a Broadway star. And if Shayne will cast this girlfriend in a supporting role, he'll get his financing. But as Shayne finds out in his meeting with the Mob boss and Olive, this girl is very rough around the edges, and this is a very serious play. Her stage experience? As the Boss explains, "She used to wiggle at this joint in Hoboken." Shayne nearly passes out from an anxiety attack, but as Marx explains to him on their way home, he needs to be flexible if he wants his play to go on. And so begins a downward spiral of one moral compromise after another, each of them inescapable and each of them greasing the wheels of the play's success. By the end of the film, Shayne's play is a big success and Shayne himself is thoroughly sick of everything, including himself. This film is a thoroughly engrossing and terrifically entertaining dramatization of the price of success.

This film sparkles with all the flavours and fun and joy that makes it worthwhile going to the movies!

Pure cinematic joy! As far as I'm concerned, this riotous comedy belongs on the top tier of Allen's filmography. Despite enthusiastic reviews and successful awards consideration, it still feels like one of his most underappreciated achievements. It's so hard to write capsule reviews about motion pictures like this because there's an overwhelming desire to wax rhapsodic about every precious moment. There's a small handful of movies during which I find something new to appreciate every single time. This is one of those rare examples. The cast is sheer heaven, each member having their own moments to shine and generously allowing those around them to shine just as brightly. That being said, Wiest is the film's greatest treasure, and hers is one of the best Supporting Actress wins of all time. It's a timeless performance that is a joy to behold. I also want to recognize Tracey Ullman as one of the members of the acting troupe - she is stupendous and achingly funny. And then there's Jim Broadbent as an actor with huge appetites in multiple areas of his life. And Jennifer Tilly breathing new life into the familiar role of the talentless floozie with dreams of stardom. The list goes on and on... It's shrewdly written, beautifully filmed and contains probably the best production values of any movie Allen has ever made. The time period is beautifully captured, and the period music is perfect. I love every single moment of this movie and is among my favorite re-watchables of all time.

Ultimately, Allen is again trying to justify his own morality, albeit in the most cynical and hilarious way. Like in Crimes and Misdemeanors, there are two crimes being committed here, the more important of which involves artistic integrity. Don't speak!

While it probably isn't up there with some of Woody Allen's most iconic and revered movies, Bullets Over Broadway may be one of his most flat-out entertaining films. Set in 1920's New York, David Shayne (John Cusack) is a playwright whose first play of significance is being funded by a local mobster…on the condition that the mobster's wildly untalented girlfriend is given a role. Despite it being light and fluffy, it is also filled with Allen's trademark smart dialogue. The cast is expansive (Diane Wiest, Jack Warden, Jennifer Tilly, Rob Reiner, Chazz Palminterri, to name a few), as one would expect in an Allen film, the time period details are fantastic, and Allen's direction is typically excellent, featuring more than its fair share of creative blocking and lengthy takes.

Very funny movie. Whole cast is great.

That's another clever Woody Allen film and the fact that he himself doesn't star in it makes it less annoying for me.

A great script and a great cast results in a great way to spend 90 minutes.

Allen aims are clear, create Sunset Blvd. but make it funny. He only half succeeds but the result is nonetheless enjoyable.

One of Allen's absolute best. I wish someone still made movies as infectious and rich as this gem.

Bullets Over Broadway is a delightful, wonderfully entertaining comedy by a master of the cinema. Allen's writing and direction are pitch perfect for this vehicle. The tone is set spot on then maintained throughout. The screenplay is fantastic- smart, economical, and consistently funny. Now add in a stellar cast that has great chemistry together and let them fully realize the potential of the story and screenplay. Dianne Wiest is at the top of her comedic acting skills here. She clearly embraced the role of the aging but still very vital stage actress. Cusack really pulls of the young, struggling playwright as well. Then there's Palminteri; c'mon, what a guy, huh? So cool to see him grow from just your basic meathead heavy mob guy to a co-writer on the play who sees where the story should go better than the actual author at times. Jennifer Tilly is great at sexy roles. She can play drama well. But her #1 talent is in comedy. She's a natural. From the voice intonation to how well she embodies her character and shows their ridiculous nature, she's a really funny lady. Stellar work by all. 4 stars

One of Woody's finest.

Excellent, hilarious writing with elevating performances! Beautiful production design and costumes.

I couldn't take any of the performances seriously.

What is it exactly that makes Dianne Wiest such a fantastic presence? She just has it, whatever it is, and this allows her to be completely captivating when she is on screen whether she is taking on a heavy dramatic role in a film like Rabbit Hole (2010) or a lighter comedic role in Hannah and Her Sisters (1986). She is as buoyant as ever in this film which relies almost entirely on the entertainment value of the performances as while Woody Allen touches on themes about artistry he really allows the film to showcase the talents of Wiest, Jennifer Tilly and Chazz Palmintieri. Showgirl Olive Neal, Jennifer Tilly, is an aspiring actress who lacks talent but succeeds due to the meddling of her gangster boyfriend Joe Valenti, Nick Viterelli, who finances a new show for her to star in. The play is written by the self serious David Shayne, John Cusack, who spends his time as a starving artist with his supportive girlfriend Ellen, Mary-Louise Parker, with high minded ideals of never having his work changed. He is dismayed to have Neal in his play but quickly becomes enamored of fading Broadway veteran Helen Sinclair, Dianne Wiest, who seduces him in order to have him rewrite the play for her benefit and is only attracted to Shayne because of his artistry. Shayne's writing is poor and he is shocked when Neal's bodyguard Cheech, Chazz Palmintieri, offers him advice that proves to be useful. The play is staged and becomes successful with adjustments made by Cheech but he is angered by Neal's performance and chooses to murder her. Shayne also begins to weigh up his options as he realizes that he may not be cut out for life as an artist and Sinclair might be using him to further her own career. The magic of the film comes in the performances of Tilly and Wiest who really dominate the film with big, hammy performances that are hilarious and entertaining. Wiest puts on her best Helen Hayes accent and even when offstage is incredibly theatrical with all of her utterings of "Don't Speak" and devastating seduction of Shayne. She gives a surprisingly physical performance here as she seems completely aware of the over the top acting style used by actresses of this era and makes no attempt to convince us that Sinclair is in any way grounded. Tilly also makes no attempt to give Neal a sense of naturalism with her trademark nasal voice and wooden acting. She reminded me of Katharine Hepburn in Stage Door (1937) as she is haughty and lacking in self awareness but full of so much conviction that you are convinced by her. Both actresses received Academy Award nominations for their work and I would argue that both were deserving but it was Wiest who triumphed with her powerful portrayal. Considering what surrounds them the film could be considered a weaker Allen effort as there is none of the self reflection of his better efforts and while the film contains ‘deep' themes it never delves into them deeply enough. I suppose Cusack is the emotional center of the film as we want to see him succeed as an artist and not lose his integrity in the face of the manipulative actresses her works with. I felt that I was invested in him to a degree but in many ways he was the least interesting character in the film as he was not particularly funny and he is bowled over by most of his scene partners. The final scene in which he has discovered that he does not have what it takes to be an writer, because most writers are terrible people, and affirms his love for his ex-girlfriend Ellen was moving. There is irony of course in the fact that Allen, a writer, has written this film and is essentially saying that he is an awful enough person to be successful at this job and a creepiness to the fact that his relationship with longtime muse Mia Farrow broke up shortly before his writing of this film. To some this film may seem ‘overrated' due to the amount of Academy Award nominations it received and while I would agree that it was not one of the best of 1994 it is another good addition to Allen's filmography.

Excellent! Loved it.

The best comedy gangster movie ever made! Or is it the best gangster comedy movie ever made?

Woody Allen blends together true comedic prowess, captivating moral intrigue, and his own genuine love for the theatrical creative process to give us "Bullets Over Broadway," an unwaveringly sophisticated vehicle that honestly honed in on all three parts of this mixture in equal measure. Think of it as "Birdman" meets "Match Point" with a dash of "Miller's Crossing." On paper, that's a mess of a motion picture. But for Woody, it's what we ended up getting -- a fun, funny, and thematically evocative period romp through the wings of old East Coast theatre culture.