Rating America’s Contemporary Directors

I beg to differ with Mathews’ inclusion of Woody Allen in his commentary about once formidable filmmakers who seem to have lost their artistic integrity. While I readily admit that Allen’s most recent film, “Alice,” doesn’t rank among his best, I fail to see how this one flawed effort is an indication of his artistic decline.

If anything, Allen’s artistic output has improved in recent years, with witty, insightful and diverse films such as “The Purple Rose of Cairo,” “Hannah and Her Sisters,” “Radio Days” and “Crimes and Misdemeanors.”

One can’t realistically expect a filmmaker to top himself with each successive effort, but Allen has come as close to doing just that as any filmmaker ever has.

MICHAEL BAUM

Los Angeles