The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001)

Woody Allen himself says that his movies are nothing extravagant. In essence it is a play put on film. His assistants put together adequate sets and costumes. The camera angle almost never changes. What makes Allen's comedies so fun to watch is the writing and the wonderful way they are delivered - everything else is just background, except the music which I absolutely loved.

Allen takes the lead once again as a gumshoe insurance detective and plays opposite a sharp and sexy Helen Hunt. The two antagonize each other throughout the film, but their mutual attraction takes over in the end. The film is set in the 1940s and so they play off a lot of the stereotypes of the day too. The characters deliver deliciously fast one-liners and affectionate insults like

"Don't bother seeing me to the door, someone might think we're together"
"What? Do I look like an organ grinder?"

and

"You probably took notes, you suspicious little inchworm."

The film does fail in originality because it uses such common play props and action fittings like pouring drinks and furniture as obstacles.

The jade scorpion's role is to speak the truth about their characters through hypnosis - they are really thieves deep down and they are also madly in love with each other.

Official Site | IMDB