Review of Annie Hall (1977) by Kalel J — 30 May 2011

In film, artists are given a short amount of time to create and convey characters and themes. Wrapped into a narrative, it is the tool of prioritising traits and reactions that are used to best gauge a person on screen. With 'Annie Hall', Woody Allen is not so much conveying a narrative. There is no start or end but instead a familiar chapter in the larger story of life.

His focus is a look at the lines connecting and separating the dual parts of a relationship and it is the level of conveyance that Allen ultimately achieves that gives a strong understanding. In a 90 minute feature, there is a greater insight than films twice it's length.

Sweet and bitter, 'Annie Hall' is everything a relationship is and should be. It is an easy and enjoyable affair as the familiarisation of these lives is being explored. As love gestates and evolves, difficulties ensue and realities look to brush away the early romancing. The reality of the film and its effortless cramming of scenes is key. But it is in the fact that we - the audience - know throughout that this romance is doomed, fleeting, that sets it apart. Each character is open to personal bias and like, but their relationship is now pushed into a more objective viewpoint.