Review of Annie Hall (1977) by Antonius B — 19 May 2016

Probably the best romantic comedy you'll ever see. Woody Allen plays Alvy Singer, an insecure, cerebral comedian living in Manhattan (hmm), who is trying to understand how his relationship with Annie Hall (Diane Keaton) ended. The script is fantastic, and Allen gives us a steady stream of jokes ranging from subtle, intellectual references to physical comedy, and while I only laughed out loud a few times, I was often smiling. He also uses a variety of creative techniques in this film - speaking directly to the camera, stepping directly into childhood memories, giving voice to inner thoughts, and including a brief animation, among other things. He explores love, sex, and relationships, but also the cultural differences between Jews and Gentiles, and New Yorkers and Californians in clever ways. His understated facial reaction as Keaton orders Pastrami on white bread with lettuce and tomatoes is priceless.

The film is sweet, endearing, and sentimental about relationships, and yet it's also balanced, showing the bittersweet pitfalls with just the right touches, including a brilliant ending. On top of all that, it's great to see Paul Simon in a couple of scenes, Allen's references to the 1969 documentary "The Sorrow and the Pity", and Diane Keaton's wonderful performance of "Seems Like Old Times". Great film, and very worthy of the Academy Awards it won.