Review of Annie Hall (1977) by Nathan N — 11 Mar 2012

"'I would never want to belong to any club that would have someone like me for a member.' That's the key joke of my adult life, in terms of my relationships with women..." - Alvy Singer.

You can tell when Allen was making Annie Hall, he wanted to finally do something outstanding without actually admitting to do so. How "Annie Hall" became my favorite film of all time still perplexes me. I always enjoyed the writing, the acting, Allen's directing and, of course, the humor. But now that I think about it, I think the significance of the film goes even more than that. What that significance is beyond me. Allen is at his creative peak with Annie Hall. He addresses the audience when he sees fit, he uses long takes and special cinematography, he humorously gives his point of view of life and everything else, him and his companions use smart and witty lines, and his relationship with the titled character Annie is as realistic and humorous and it is heartwarming. Allen has achieved great but it is hard to say what it is. I guess it can only be up for interpretation about how people find it important. But for me, I'll just stick to why I think it is important: It's Woody Allen being Woody Allen and no one can really do that any better.

Pros: Amazing screenplay, acting and direction style. The film will tickle anyone's funny bone, an amazing and unforgettable cameo by Christopher Walken. A very feel good and lighthearted comedy. Great atmosphere and (dare I say) hipster feel to it. This is, by far, the most hipster film ever made. No joke. It's everybody's favorite Woody Allen movie.

Cons: Nothing that comes to mind.

Final verdict: Watch it, experience it and prepared to be amazed.

"This guy goes to a psychiatrist and says, 'Doc my brother's crazy; he thinks he's a chicken.' And the doctor says, 'Well, why don't you turn him in?' The guy says, 'I would, but I need the eggs.' Well, I guess that's pretty much now how I feel about relationships..." - Alvy Singer.