Woody Allen: A Travesty of a Mockery of a Sham

While Woody Allen’s 2020 memoir, Apropos of Nothing, overshadows over other Allen biographies, he may have met his match with McGilligan’s (Funny Man: Mel Brooks) mammoth but never dull examination of the octogenarian’s life and career. Although a fan, McGilligan has a sharp, critical eye as he covers Allen’s 50 films, discussing each one’s origin, production, critical reception, and success or failure at the box office. Likewise, McGilligan’s warts-and-all look at Allen’s prickly personality and standoffish approach to directing does not attempt to polish his image. He also offers a meticulously detailed account of the actions and accusations that have colored Allen’s career for the last 30 years—when he began dating the 21-year-old adopted daughter of his decade-long partner Mia Farrow and was accused of sexually abusing his seven-year-old adopted daughter. McGilligan offers multiple perspectives of the case, comparing court transcripts, doctors’ and psychiatrists’ evaluations, interviews with various people, and measured, paralleled accounts in memoirs by Allen and Farrow. The final chapter starts in 2016, when Allen’s son Ronan Farrow reignited a campaign against the writer and director for crimes he’d never been charged with or convicted of.