Irrational Man

A college philosophy professor (Joaquin Phoenix) considers life not worth living; he can't even get it up for sex—until he finds a perfect stranger who deserves to die; this suddenly gives purpose to his life. Oh dear, Woody Allen is getting all serious again. Or maybe not. This may just be a deadpan satire on the narcissistic pretensions of academic sociopaths. Still, Allen's never before had trouble letting us know when he was kidding; if this really is one of those times, the joke isn't funny, it's pompous and banal. All the Allen trademarks—bright dialogue, quirky characters, vintage music, big-name casts—are missing here. In the cast, only Phoenix, Emma Stone and Parker Posey have names; otherwise it's a parade of forgettable nobodies, and Allen gives them all not one interesting word to say. J.L.