Graceful and brave in the face of a surprising mortality, he sets about to knit together the loose strands of his life and destiny through a series of Herculean, heart-warming challenges.

Mr Allen has learnt from Truffaut about the joys of loose-knit narratives, and he improves on his model by mercifully bringing his film in at the right length.

All of this work is expensive and difficult and the result of many hours of dedicated labor—the kind that probably won’t be replicated by a loose-knit group of enthusiasts.