Rifkin's Festival

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2:19

Rifkin's Festival

PG-13

2022

1h 32m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

41%

Tomatometer

80 Reviews

40%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

Mort Rifkin (Wallace Shawn - Manhattan, My Dinner with Andre), a retired film studies professor, accompanies his publicist wife Sue (Gina Gershon New Amsterdam, Killer Joe) to the San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain. He goes not for the films, but because he's worried that Sue's fascination with her young buzzed-about film director client, Philippe (Louis Garrel - Little Women, An Officer and a Spy), might be more than professional. In addition, Mort hopes the change of scenery will provide a respite from his struggle to write a first novel that lives up to his impossibly exacting standards. With Mort's relentlessly dismissive opinions of Philippe, and Sue's sharp focus on her career as well as Philippe, their already frayed relationship becomes more strained. Mort's mood lightens when he meets Jo Rojas (Elena Anaya - The Skin I Live In), a kindred spirit whose marriage to tempestuous painter Paco (Sergi López - Pan's Labyrinth) is causing her pain as well. While Mort's personal tastes have sometimes pushed people away, Jo's intellect and shared sensibility draw them together. While Sue spends her days with Philippe, Mort's relationship with Jo deepens.

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Critics Consensus

While it doesn't rank among Woody Allen's truly lesser late-period efforts, Rifkin's Festival finds the filmmaker content to revisit well-worn territory.

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Amy Nicholson

FilmWeek (LAist)

It really feels like Woody restlessly needing to make a movie, even if there's less and less interest in watching it.

Jan 29, 2022

Full Review

Glenn Kenny

RogerEbert.com

Allen's direction, with Vittorio Storaro lensing, is typically fluid. If you're at all inclined to view this movie, you'll find it's very easy to take in.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jan 28, 2022

Full Review

Gary Goldstein

Los Angeles Times

Woody Allen's 49th feature, "Rifkin's Festival," is arguably his worst.

Jan 28, 2022

Full Review

Dallas King

Flick Feast

While the film is likely to have critics pining for their next film festival trip, Rifkin’s Festival is more likely to win the Palme D’Oh than the Palme D’Or.

Rated: 2/5

Nov 13, 2022

Full Review

William Schwartz

Book & Film Globe

Rifkin’s Festival features a surprising twist on the usual Allen formula...there’s actually a fair amount of humility.

Jul 13, 2022

Full Review

María Fernanda Mugica

La Nación (Argentina)

The jokes don't achieve the intended impact... Melancholy ends up beating comedy. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 2/5

May 18, 2022

Full Review

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Dale

Mildly entertaining but not unmissable. Louis Garrel looks hot, though!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/01/22

Full Review

Fil S

I consider it one of the most mediocre works of the great Woody.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

03/23/25

Full Review

Stephanie L

awful 🤢 ranks right down there with Wonder Wheel and Blue Jasmine. We need another like: Midnight in Paris or Cafe Society. This one was a real stinker. Boring 💤. Unlikeable characters (not the actors)

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

11/05/24

Full Review

Alec B

Allen at his most laid-back and he's really indulging his inner film nerd here which is fun. Wallace Shawn should be permanently assigned to be Allen's late period stand in.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/29/24

Full Review

M C

Again woody disguised as Wallace. Can this director realize he doesn't have to be the star of every single movie he makes.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/01/24

Full Review

Alexsander F

Bom filme. Particularmente gostei bastante, bem leve, com bastante referências de Woody.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/30/23

Full Review

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Director

Wallace Shawn

Mort Rifkin

Gina Gershon

Sue

Elena Anaya

Jo Rojas

Louis Garrel

Philippe

Christoph Waltz

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Rifkin's Festival: Trailer 1

2:19

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Synopsis

Mort Rifkin (Wallace Shawn - Manhattan, My Dinner with Andre), a retired film studies professor, accompanies his publicist wife Sue (Gina Gershon New Amsterdam, Killer Joe) to the San Sebastian Film Festival in Spain. He goes not for the films, but because he's worried that Sue's fascination with her young buzzed-about film director client, Philippe (Louis Garrel - Little Women, An Officer and a Spy), might be more than professional. In addition, Mort hopes the change of scenery will provide a respite from his struggle to write a first novel that lives up to his impossibly exacting standards. With Mort's relentlessly dismissive opinions of Philippe, and Sue's sharp focus on her career as well as Philippe, their already frayed relationship becomes more strained. Mort's mood lightens when he meets Jo Rojas (Elena Anaya - The Skin I Live In), a kindred spirit whose marriage to tempestuous painter Paco (Sergi López - Pan's Labyrinth) is causing her pain as well. While Mort's personal tastes have sometimes pushed people away, Jo's intellect and shared sensibility draw them together. While Sue spends her days with Philippe, Mort's relationship with Jo deepens.

Director: Woody Allen
Producer: Letty Aronson, Erika Aronson, Jaume Roures
Screenwriter: Woody Allen
Distributor: MPI Media Group
Production Co: Televisió de Catalunya (TV3), Gravier Productions, Mediapro, Wildside
Rating: PG-13 (Suggestive/Sexual Material|Some Drug Use|Language|Thematic Elements)
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 28, 2022, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 28, 2022
Runtime: 1h 32m

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