Blu-ray Review: Irrational Man

By John Corrado

★★★ (out of 4)

The latest from writer-director Woody Allen, Sony Pictures Classics is releasing Irrational Man on Blu-ray today.  Abe Lucas (Joaquin Phoenix) is a brooding professor who has just started teaching philosophy at a local university, where he catches the attention of bright young student Jill (Emma Stone).  But when he becomes obsessed with committing a crime that he convinces himself will better humanity, his own existential crisis lifts, only for things to come crashing down for those around him.

Although it would be easy to dismiss this as minor Woody Allen, and it’s admittedly not one of his essential works, Irrational Man still offers enough twisted moral paradoxes and philosophically attuned writing to make it worth a look for devotees.  With engaging performances from Joaquin Phoenix and Emma Stone, this is a piece of dark and thought provoking entertainment, that maintains a reasonable level of interest and even suspense right through to the intriguing denouement.

The Blu-ray also includes a photo gallery and footage from the Los Angeles Film Premiere red carpet.

Irrational Man is 95 minutes and rated 14A.