Review of Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) by Jordan B — 21 Mar 2011

My second favorite Woody Allen film. It is just behind Crimes & Misdemeanors. This film is amazing in its characterization. It is so amazing that the movie is even able to be self referential of the characters so that it is funny and not just plain dumb.

This is probably the most heartfelt film Allen has made. All characters in Hannah and Her Sisters can be loved and vouched for by the audience. Like most other films he has made, it has a lot to do with sexual desires. But, with this film, he gives all of the characters more heart than the previous film which lets people feel the true emotional nature of affairs.

Hannah is a person is a very giving person that for it everyone loves her and also hates her. Lee is bored with her life and feels that she is living in Hannah's shadow. But, not as much so as Holli, who has low confidence and is struggling to find her place in the world. Elliot, played amazingly by Michael Caine, doesn't is caught between Hannah and Lee in his love life. His thoughts are hilarious. Finally, Allen's character, Mickey, is Hannah's ex-husband and is terrified of death that brings him through a humorous sequence of events. They all come together in a poetic ending.

It is a little hard to get into at the beginning of the movie because of the giant web of of characters, but it nicely settles into a beautiful story.