Mighty Aphrodite (1995 Woody Allen & scr)

A joy of a plot in which couple Woody Allen and Helena Bonham Carter adopt; years later he begins to have a burning desire to know who this smart kid's mother was. In hugely satisfying twist, she turns out to be a not very bright porn actress. All this is framed by a brilliantly original (and well-choreographed*) Greek chorus, who become increasingly sarcastic, led by F. Murray Abraham (with Olympia Dukakis). It's really funny, and the irony level is at Force Ten. Like Deconstructing Harry, the language is markedly ruder than Mr Allen's normal stuff.

Chorus: Proud father. Speak.

Oedipus: With joy to have a son, so fair, so clear-headed and brave. Had I a thousand pleasures to derive from his presence. So what happens? One day he kills me, and don't you think he runs off and marries my wife.

Chorus: Poor Oedipus, King of Thebes.

Jocasta: My son, my son did slay unwittingly my noble husband and did without realising hasten with me, his loving mother, to lustful bed.

Leader: And a whole profession was born. Charging sometimes two hundred an hour. And a fifty minute hour at that....

Jocasta: I hate to tell you what they call my son in Harlem.

Woody's great at writing the thick actress - Mira Sorvino won the Oscar for it. The writing and the acting make her a very lovable character. Woody the character tries to match her up with an even thicker boxer, played by Michael Rapaport, and again he's written really well. The ending is a doozy.

Amongst other supporting characters, Paul Giamatti appears for ten seconds. With Claire Bloom, Tony Sirico, David Hyde Pierce, Jack Warden. Beautifully shot by Carlo di Palma in New York and Old Taormina. Typically eclectic music selection includes his main Irrational Man theme 'The In Crowd'.

There's nothing else like it. It's a joy.

* Graciela Daniela worked with Woody on Bullets and then choreographed Everyone Says I Love You.