Review of Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) by Pablo H — 20 Jul 2009

First of all, it is my duty, as a Woody Allen fan, to say that ?Hannah and her Sisters? should have won the Academy Award for Best Film of the Year, instead of ?Platoon? (which I love too).

This film is unbelievable! It is too good, even for Woody Allen; definitely one his best five (along with ?Love and Death?, ?Annie Hall?, ?Manhattan? and ?Zelig?) and particularly my favorite of all films. It?s already great enough to see Mia Farrow, Dianne Wiest, Michael Cane and Woody Allen doing their best performances, but that?s not even the beginning. The film leads you through a nimble story, handling a large amount of characters, and it?s amazing to see the way each one of them is presented as a deep and complex individual.

Mickey, a hypochondriac TV producer and resentful towards his ex-partner (not only for his recent successes in California, but also for being the father of Mickey?s children), finds himself facing death in the middle of a faith-less life. Quitting his job and trying to get the right answers to his existential (and classically Bergman?s) doubts, finally discovers that ?being a part of the experience? is the best way to live. His personality changes and it?s able even to match Holly?s, with whom he had the worst night of his life some time ago, although her transformation should be blamed as well.

Holly is one of Hannah?s sisters, an insecure woman who?s just taking the course of her life after being a drug addict. Through the movie she learns where her talents and debilities lie, she?s professionally frustrated, deceived by the man she falls in love with and stabbed in the back by her best friend, April. Depending on Hannah?s financial support, she tries to make a living as an actress and by opening a catering company. Disappointed by every failure in her life, she can only unleash her anger towards the only person who was always there for her: Hannah. Fortunately, her persistence pays up, as she finds the job that finally brings the success she had been searching for? and love along the way! What a better way to write plays for television than by falling in love with a hypochondriac TV producer?

Elliot is Hannah?s husband, a glorified accountant who falls in love with Lee, Hannah?s sister. After expressing his feelings to her, in the most romantic scene in the movie (?Nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands.?) the two of them begin to develop a secret relationship. Lee?s personality is crucial at this point. She?s an AA member living with an older man, Frederick, who took her under his wing as his pupil (a typical relationship presented by Woody Allen, even paradigmatically). She seems to be more confident than Holly, probably because of Frederick?s support, but she feels just as insecure as her sister does. Back to Elliot, he remembers his life before meeting Hannah was a complete chaos, and she was the one who helped him out. However, Hannah looks so perfect and self-sufficient that he is unable to help her back. Elliot needs a woman to take care of, and that?s where Lee comes up: ?God, she?s beautiful?.

Even though Elliot feels utterly happy with Lee, he knows he could never hurt Hannah so much, so the relationship never goes any further. In the process, Lee leaves Frederick, realizing that she is actually an independent, wonderful and smart woman, and starts taking courses at Columbia, where she meets her future husband. Meanwhile, Elliot sees the real reason why he fell in love with Lee, discovers how important he is for Hannah and remembers just how much he loves her.

It?s possible to create a similar profile for Hannah?s parents, April, Frederick and even David, the architect. But what about Hannah? Of course I could do it as well, but I would only be repeating the entire story, because Hannah is merely constructed upon every single part of the other characters? lives. She obviously has dreams of her own (she wants to experience childbirth, act in theatrical plays after establishinga family), but even those elements are useful in another character's construction (Mickey and Hannah's mother in these cases). She works as an axis to bring all the stories together and create the magnificent film this is. A film where the script, the acting performances, the music and probably Allen's highest artistic work make a heartening drama and an ingenious comedy mixed up in an incredibly fluid story.