Review of Annie Hall (1977) by Carlos P — 15 Sep 2016

Annie Hall(1977).

Starring: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Tony Roberts, Carol Kane, Paul Simon, Shelley Duvall, Janet Margolin, Christopher Walken, and Colleen Dewhurst.

Directed By: Woody Allen.

Review.

A NERVOUS ROMANCE.

Hello Kiddies your pal the Cupid Critic here with one of the most influential romantic comedies that had it's own and beat Star Wars at the Oscars for Best Picture.

Alvy Singer(Woody Allen) is one of Manhattan's most brilliant comedians, but when it comes to romance, his delivery needs a little work. Introduced by his best friend Rob(Tony Roberts) Alvy falls in love with the ditzy but delightful nightclub singer Annie Hall(Diane Keaton). When Alvy's own insecurities sabotage the affair, Annie is forced to leave Alvy for a new life-and lover(Paul Simon)-in LOs Angles. Knowing he may have lost Annie forever, Alvy's willing to go to great lengths- even driving L.A's freeways-to recapture the only thing that mattered-true love.

I've been wanting to see this for a while, the first Woody Allen picture I ever saw was Blue Jasmine and I loved that film, granted its nothing like Annie Hall but it was a great character study. Annie Hall was also a best picture winner so that also made me more excited when I put the Bluray in.

Annie Hall contains more intellectual wit and cultural references than any other movie to win an Oscar for best picture, and in winning the award in 1978 it edged out Star Wars, an outcome unthinkable today. The victory marked the beginning of Woody Allen's career as an important filmmaker(his work was funny but slight) and it signaled the end of the 1970s golden age of movies.

Annie Hall is built on such dialogue and centers on conversation and monologue. Because it is just about everyone's favorite Woody Allen movie, because it won the Oscar, because it is a romantic comedy few viewers probably notice how much of it consist of people talking, simply talking.

This is a movie that establishes its tone by constantly switching between tones: The switches reflect the restless mind of the filmmaker, turning away from the apparent subject of a scene to find the angle that reveals the joke. Annie Hall is a movie about a man who is always looking for the loopholes in perfection. Who can turn everything into a joke, and wishes he couldn't. I give Annie Hall a five out of five.