Review of Burning Annie (2007) by Alice S — 28 May 2011

If you're gonna reference Annie Hall throughout your movie, or even worse, claim that your main love interest is "the modern incarnation of Annie Hall" in your badly-written Netflix DVD sleeve synopsis, you better go balls-to-the-wall with that homage. I want a nightclub-singing, lobster-flinging, tennis racket-swinging ditz who wears ties and vests, dammit!!! I would rather think you copied Annie Hall than you co-opted a few of its philosophies because you think (erroneously) that they define you as a human being.

The filmmakers seemed to have good intentions. They're young and fresh-faced and pretty decent actors for the most part. The script isn't even that bad, if they had just taken out the ham-handed attempt at Woody Allen worship. There are some funny, neurotic quips that fit into a nice, college rom-dramedy, but - and this may be ageist of me - these characters are too young/immature/inexperienced to "get" Annie Hall.

I also couldn't get past the fact that the lead male looks just like Nick Jonas.

And the Virginia Tech windshield decal. Weird.