Full disclosure: I am a Woody Allen devotee. I fell in love with the flippant cultural references and translucent emotional make-up of his classic drama-comedies, Annie Hall and Manhattan, while still a teenager trying to find my own place in the world. I learnt to love the silly screwball early comedies (Bananas, Sleeper), and earnestly absorbed his European art-house pretensions (the cripplingly self-aware Stardust Memories remains a favourite). I developed patience for magic tricks and the supernatural silliness of films like The Purple Rose Cairo.
And, along the way, I’ve also kept up with his erratic, but rarely unfulfilling, contemporary output. Because that’s the beautiful thing about being a Woody Allen fan; thanks to his militant work-rate – which typically sees Allen shoot a film every autumn, edit in winter, and premiere at Cannes in May ahead of a July release – the cup is always brimming over the edge with new work.
This year Allen celebrated 50 years in the director’s chair – a milestone sadly overshadowed by another round of personal controversy – with his 47th picture, Café Society. I’ve been itching to see it since reading early festival reviews some five months ago – and on October 13, a couple of months after its US release, the picture opened in the UAE. The last time I recall seeing an Allen picture released in the emirates was 2011’s Oscar-winner Midnight in Paris.
Maybe I missed one, but why Café Society? Perhaps it’s the film’s all-star cast, which includes Kristen Stewart, Steve Carell and Blake Lively, and is led winningly by Jesse Eisenberg. Lesser actors have built entire careers on impersonating Allen onscreen – see Seinfeld’s Jason Alexander – but in Eisenberg’s shuffling, skinny awkwardness, Allen may have found his most natural younger alter-ego yet.
Perhaps the release reflects a broadening of the UAE audience’s appreciation for cinema, with witty, dialogue-heavy, offbeat comedies finally earning a place alongside blockbuster thrillers and low-budget horrors. Or maybe it’s just a case of luck, the scheduling stars being aligned.
Either way, Café Society won’t run for long, and its release should be thoroughly celebrated. Having finally seen the picture, I’d be lying if I said it was quite worth the wait – let’s slot this one somewhere between a hit and a miss – but once bitten by the Woody bug, there’s no turning back. There is a strange comfort found in watching that trademark Windsor typeface burst onscreen, announcing the opening credits, accompanied by the liberal use of a smiling retro swing soundtrack.
So, at the age of 80, and celebrating 50 years in the director’s chair, here’s to many more whimsical Woody pictures – and, hopefully, many more UAE releases.
rgarratt@thenational.ae
57%20Seconds
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rusty%20Cundieff%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJosh%20Hutcherson%2C%20Morgan%20Freeman%2C%20Greg%20Germann%2C%20Lovie%20Simone%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2%2F5%0D%3Cbr%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Gulf Under 19s final
Dubai College A 50-12 Dubai College B
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Dubai Rugby Sevens, December 5 -7
World Sevens Series Pools
A – Fiji, France, Argentina, Japan
B – United States, Australia, Scotland, Ireland
C – New Zealand, Samoa, Canada, Wales
D – South Africa, England, Spain, Kenya
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
