When you think Woody Allen, you think of character-driven films. But his new comedy, The Curse of the Jade Scorpion, reminds us that he's also a decent storyteller.

This time out, Allen unspools a screwball, opposites-attract romance, wrapped-up in a detective yarn package. It's an old fashioned film in almost every way, beginning with its 1940 setting.

Allen plays an insurance investigator who gets hypnotized one night, during a nightclub act. Unbenknowst to him -- the spell never wears off. The hypnotist is still able to put him into a trance by simply calling him up and saying the magic word. Before you know it, the hypnotist is convincing Allen's character to subconsciously become a jewel thief. When he wakes up from his trances, Allen has to investigate the crimes, unaware that he's the one who's committed them.

It's a funny little premise for a funny little movie. The film doesn't just have an old fashioned look and feel, it's old fashioned in the way it gets its laughs. There's no bodily fluids used as hair gel, no one has sex with a pie. Allen uses snappy dialogue and funny situations to get us giggling.

The Woodman has always had a knack for picking his leading ladies (on screen at least) and he's picked another winner in Helen Hunt. She absolutely shines as the office efficiency expert who's the oil to Allen's water. Hunt's acting style is as well-tailored to the repartee as the '40s costumes she fits so snugly into. Dan Aykroyd nicely rounds out the cast.
(c) Copyright 2001