i can not share the generally enthusiastic opinion of this film show by most other imdb database user . i be sorry about this a i want to like it it main theme and contrast the relative importance of love and art and both for society and for most of it individual member and be significant for u all while and it be a very visually appeal presentation give an excellent depiction of new york city a it be some 80 or more year ago and mainly in shade of brown that be never jar to the eye . i be not one of those who dislike woody allen work . the purple rise of cairo and love and death ( where he show he be able to combine farce with both fairly natural dialogue and his beloved philosophical discussion and this desert him in bob ) be both treasured part of my private movie collection . although bob be largely free of the artificial dialogue which spoil many of woody other film and it be spoil by unrelenting and continuous overact . many film include at least one actor guilty of this heinous sin and but when they almost all do so the fault probably lie squarely with the director . here you could watch a few minute cull from almost any point in the film and be confident of find a shouting match and or character wave their arm about like windmill . many cinema fan do not like watch silent film because of the overacting they be say to feature . this be conventionally explain by the absence of dialogue force a great emphasis on gesture and but john barrymore even in some of his most unrestrained role seldom continue exaggerated gesturing beyond the point when it be need while and this need be often due more to difficulty in create effective close ups than to the absence of sound and problem that co exist in those early day . today an actor can convey a world of mean whilst quietly sit at a table by and for example and just raise an eyebrow and utter the word really in an appropriately question tone . in silent day a one word caption really would be almost a effective but the scene at the table and film from 5 or 10 metre away and would not do justice to the raise eyebrow in the same way a a modern close up and film from a distance of no more than a metre while so i can watch and for example and the 1925 version of ben hur more readily than i can bullets over broadway improve technology have make u much less tolerant of artefact that destroy the intend atmosphere . fan of bob claim the behaviour show in this film be in fact typical of interaction between the type of character be portray and and the overacting be not as severe a i be suggest . i doubt if this be true and but even if so the film itself make it clear that this would be no excuse . the gangster hit man cheech in an early sequence explain carefully that it be no good presenting any dramatic work in a manner with which a viewer can not empathise depict dialogue and behaviour must always be adapt to what would be expect and accept by the potential audience . i do not live among people who shout and wave their arm about all the time and although i will of course accept such behaviour in a film where it be a natural response to a stressful situation while but if i do not live among people who behave like that and i be not likely to watch a film that show everyone do so continuously and for very long before i turn it off or at the very least feel compel to complain and a i be do now . bullet over broadway be of course dangerously close to be a direct copy of the film mistress and release a couple of year or so early and the story be almost identical and except that the locale have be change from hollywood to new york and the film be produce have become a stage play . the same type of moral and artistic issue be bring out in both of them . mistress be not so well enjoy by imdb user and but it be very interesting to compare the impact create by the two work . whereas bob play more like a farce most of the time and mistress provide bite satire which for me be both more enjoyable and far more effective . it be extremely well act by almost all the cast and and robert de niro in particular give a performance worthy of an oscar nomination . no wonder the hollywood elite do not like it and many of it barb must have strike very close to home . recently and after watch bullet over broadway i re watched part of mistress to decide whether my more favourable recollection of it be justified . i note one short slang match develop towards the end and this be quickly cut short by another character tell the perpetrator to calm down . back to reality this be all i really need to see . mistress be real enough for me to feel like an outsider watch event happen and whereas bob be definitely more like watch entertainer try to keep me amused . for me the wrong film have be make available on dvd .