MIGHTY APHRODITE is Woody Allen's stab at Greek comedy/tragedy, and it is wildly successful. Allen stars as Lenny Weinrib, a sportswriter married to ambitious Amanda Sloan (Helena... more
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Mighty Aphrodite [1996]
Released in 1995, Mighty Aphrodite was arguably Woody Allen's most successful film since
... more
Hannah and Her Sisters almost a decade earlier. The story follows Allen's neurotic New York sports writer Lenny, who becomes obsessed with tracking down his adopte...
Mighty Aphrodite [1996]
Released in 1995, Mighty Aphrodite was arguably Woody Allen's most successful film since
... more
Hannah and Her Sisters almost a decade earlier. The story follows Allen's neurotic New York sports writer Lenny, who becomes obsessed with tracking down his adopte...
Advantages: Very Funny, Mira Sorvino is Excellent Disadvantages: The whole Greek chorus thing
...so here’s the latest…
Mighty Aphrodite is an identity–based comedy from Woody Allen, where a man goes in search of his adopted son’s natural parents, and sets in motion an unexpected chain of events as a consequence.
Lenny (Allen) is a sports writer married to Amanda (Helena Bonham-Carter), and they decide to adopt a child. As the child grows, he shows signs of exceptional ability and intelligence, and this leads Lenny to embark on a search to ... ...able to track the mother, who it turns out is a prostitute and adult film star, and the father is a mystery. Linda, the natural mother, is played by Mira Sorvino, who puts in a powerhouse performance, something of a trademark for Allen’s leading ladies. Actually, she won an Oscar for best supporting actress as the damaged and dim Linda, who attempts to tough it through life with disarming honesty and naivety while covering up her hidden heartbreak ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Excellent performance by Mira Sorvino Disadvantages: Not his best film
Woody Allen plays sports writer Lenny who, with his wife Amanda (played by Helena Bonham Carter), adopts a young boy, Max. Soon, Lenny gets a little curious about Max's breeding and he heads over to the adoption agency to try and find out who the parents were, certain they're a pair of geniuses. Instead, the mother turns out to be Linda Ash, a hooker/porn star (played by Mira Sorvino). Shocked at the discovery to begin with, Lenny gradually accepts ... ...all he can to help her improve her situation. While all this is going on, Lenny regularly consults with imaginary characters from Greek tragedies. In fact, a Greek chorus even narrate the story from an outdoor theatre. Overall, it's a very upbeat and highly entertaining film which has plenty of funny moments. ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Actor(s): F. Murray Abraham, Woody Allen, Claire Bloom, Helena Bonham-Carter, Olympia Dukakis, Michael Rapaport, Mira Sorvino, David Ogden Stiers, Jack Warden, Peter Weller
Director(s): Woody Allen
Genre: Comedy
Classification: 15 years and over
Production Year: 1995
Running Time: 1 hour 31 minutes
Video Category: Feature Film
Country Of Origin: United States of America
Plot: A New York sports writer is obsessed with finding the natural mother of his highly-intelligent adopted son. However, when he finally meets her she's not at all how he imagined...
Release details
DVD Region: Region 2 (Europe)
Studio(s): WALT DISNEY STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAINM; TECHNICOLOR DISTRIBUTION SERVICES
Release date: 15/06/2006
No of Discs: 1
Catalogue No: BED 888431
Barcode: 5017188884310
Languages
Main Language: English
Subtitle Language: English
Technical information
Special Features: Scene Access
Aspect Ratio: 1.85 Wide Screen
Sound: Mono
Dubbing Sound: Mono English
Award information
OSCAR: Best Actress In A Supporting Role 1996 (Mira Sorvino)
DVD Description
MIGHTY APHRODITE is Woody Allen's stab at Greek comedy/tragedy, and it is wildly successful. Allen stars as Lenny Weinrib, a sportswriter married to ambitious Amanda Sloan (Helena Bonham Carter), who desperately wants her own art gallery in New York City and is willing to play the game to get it. Amanda convinces a reluctant Lenny to adopt, and they end up with beautiful Max. Lenny soon becomes obsessed with finding out who Max's biological parents are, and he is not exactly happy when he discovers that the mother is a high-pitched actress wanna-be who is also a minor porn star and hooker (Mira Sorvino, in an Oscar-winning performance). Lenny is determined to turn her life around--but at the same time is forced to examine his own marriage, which is failing. Allen intersperses New York City vignettes with hysterical scenes of a Greek chorus, led by F. Murray Abraham, chiming in about Lenny's life, comparing it to Greek drama, and breaking out into song-and-dance numbers. The scenes in which the two worlds meet--both in New York and in the Greek theater, are wonderfully witty and incisive. This charming light comedy from Woody Allen also features fine cameo appearances by Olympia Dukakis, David Ogden Stiers, Jack Warden, and Tony Sirico.
Professional reviews
Review: "...Laugh-out-loud funny .When Mira Sorvino's Linda is on screen, MIGHTY APHRODITE is alive with daffy erotic glee..." -- Rating: B+ (Entertainment Weekly, pp.40-1, 03/11/1995)
"...A zippy, frothy confection....Dominated by a striking performance from Mira Sorvino....[She develops] a deeply sympathetic and appealing character..." (Variety, 04/09/1995)
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