Directed by: Woody Allen
Starring: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, John Beck, Mary Gregory
Sleeper is a futuristic comedy which functions as a satire of early 1970s society. Miles Monroe (Allen) wakes up from a cryogenic freeze 200 years after going into the hospital for a minor operation. He is shocked (and who wouldn't be) to learn America is a police state ruled by an elderly, wheelchair bound leader known only as "Our Leader". The underground rebellion gets a hold of Miles and uses him to discover the government's secret mission known as the Aires Project. The government refers to as "the alien" who is considered dangerous. Miles himself would not agree. ("I was beaten up by Quakers").
What transpires is inspired slapstick with hilarious visuals (such as giant hydroponic fruits and even larger chickens) and Allen's trademark verbal humor, plus a shot or two at contemporary 1970's culture. After being thawed, Miles is shown a film of Howard Cosell. The underground's theory is: "When people committed great crimes against the state, they were forced to watch this." Allen readily agrees. Allen fans may remember Cosell did play-by-play of Allen's wedding night in Bananas (1971).
The underground is after Miles, who poses as a robot servant for Luna (Keaton), a blissfully unaware poet who doesn't find it strange her robot wears glasses. We see some futuristic innovations such as a large orb which people rub to get high and instant pudding which, if not properly prepared, can turn into a giant lifelike blob which Miles has to bash away with a broom. Luna soon discovers Miles' true identity and after some hostility, she joins Miles' quest, which encounters several hiccups including Miles being chased by the giant chicken. ("What a way to go, to be pecked to death")
The Aires Project itself turns into a brilliant opportunity for Allen to showcase his love of slapstick humor. Turns out Our Leader was involved in a mishap nine months ago and all that is left of him is his nose, which is kept alive so the Leader can be cloned into a person again. Miles and Luna kidnap the nose and it is really funny to see Miles threaten to blow it away with his gun. Allen and Keaton co-starred previously in Play It Again, Sam (1972) and would team up again in Love and Death (1975) and Annie Hall (1977). They have impeccable comic timing and chemistry. Miles falls for Luna and his jealousy over her affair with the underground leader Erno (Beck) is amusing and touching. ("He couldn't be here. He had to go and take his handsome lessons.")
Sleeper finds ways for Allen to maximize his creativity in ways only he can. His ideas for plots are only the beginning. He mines the idea and the plot developments for all they are worth...and then goes further. Does Allen become a gun-toting hero who helps overthrow the government? No, he simply and miraculously does his small part. He is happier to be left alone and get the girl at the end. He also warns us in a telling, cynical observation to Luna, "This revolution stuff doesn't work. In six months, we will be stealing Erno's nose."
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