Review of Manhattan (1979) by Brendan C — 15 Jul 2010

"Everyone gets corrupted. You have to have a little faith in people.".

First of all, I loved the decision to shoot this in black & white. It makes the city look completely beautiful, and it gives the whole thing a timeless feel. It suits the movie perfectly.

Manhattan is basically about people that don't want what they have. Until they don't have it, of course. Then they want it desperately. Woody Allen's character Isaac is the worst offender. He tosses away jobs and girlfriends on a whim or an inkling of something more appealing on the horizon. Most of other main characters aren't much better. The story is encompassed within that circle of friends and relationships.

I didn't find Manhattan to be as relatable and appealing as some of Allen's other movies that I've seen. The humorous dialogue didn't seem to be as sharp as I've come to expect, and there was really only one remotely likeable character out of the lot. The ending is strong, thankfully, and that lessened the mild sense of disappointment that I felt about the film.

Okay, but I don't consider it to be one of Woody's best.