Review of Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) by Spencer S — 25 Mar 2011
A very well rounded scope on the intertwined lives of sisters, their husbands and lovers, and the stress and guilt of affairs, drugs, and home lives. Three completely different sisters, each with their own qualms, are thrust into a world they know nothing about, or have tainted knowledge of, thanks to their actor parents, always fighting each other with infidelities and liquor.
The beauty of how fragile each is in their own way makes for a volcano of emotion that erupts whenever something negative happens, like infertility, infidelity, or lack of talent. Woody Allen directs this as a drama without his usual neurotic comedy stance, and it pays off.
Wiest is finally showcased as something other than a maternal presence, but instead the black sheep in a functioning, intellectual family dynamic. Lee is both a hopeless romantic and a cynic, and the center of attention, Hannah, is the oldest sister, in charge of her sisters' lives with an iron fist.
It was daring, and yet so simple. It is now my favorite Allen film.
This review of Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) was written by Spencer S on 25 Mar 2011.
Hannah and Her Sisters has generally received very positive reviews.
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