There are films that grab you as a kid and never let go. Take the Money and Run was the first Woody Allen comedy I ever saw — I must’ve been around ten — and it left a mark on me. I remember laughing nonstop at that nervous, clumsy guy with big glasses getting into increasingly ridiculous trouble. Years later, I watched it again and the magic was still there. It was my gateway into Allen’s cinema, and I still think it’s one of his wildest and most joyful works.
Told as a mockumentary, the story of Virgil Starkwell doesn’t have much of a plot — and it doesn’t need one. What matters is the constant barrage of gags, absurd humor, and that relentless rhythm that never lets up. From the escape with a soap-carved gun to the police interrogations, it’s full of moments that would go viral today. Allen mixes parody, slapstick, and sharp wit with disarming ease. He’s not trying to be deep here — just funny — and he nails it.
Virgil, the small-time crook with a loser’s soul, already foreshadows the neurotic, lovable characters that would become Allen’s signature. But here, there are no philosophical ramblings or talks about Kant — just laughs, visual gags, absurd interviews, and a voiceover that lands every punchline with irony. And somehow, beneath all that silliness, there’s a touch of melancholy that makes it even more charming. Allen laughs at his character, yes, but he also cares for him.
Over the years, Allen has refined his style and given us more sophisticated films, but few feel as raw and direct as this one. It has that special energy of a first attempt, when everything feels like play and discovery. Maybe that’s why it works so well: it’s not trying to impress — just to entertain. And it truly does. Laughing out loud at something you’ve seen a dozen times is no small feat. This one still delivers.
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