Is Woody Allen funny or is he grumpy or is he grumpily funny or is there a profound persona exploring deep realities of people and the way the world is? Questions like these about him are difficult to answer in a few words, or even in several words, or a book. So, the attempt that looks back and deep into the life in cinema of this master needed to be a 287-pager, interspersed with poignant and hilarious images from the highlights of his career.

Working on his penultimate Woody Allen film, 'Broadway Danny Rose' (1984), cinematographer Gordon Willis perfectly captured this tender moment with Tina Farrow in the back of a taxicab. Pic courtesy/The Kobal Collection/United Artists, Published by Thames & Hudson/Roli Books