Annie Hall

Successful stand-up comic revisits his past after meeting and falling for a daffy Gentile. Woody Allen discovered a sort of unintentional hipness with this romantic comedy, fancifully filling out this story with surreal bits that fit snugly into the story-structure and never throw the narrative out of whack. If the film isn't as fresh today as it was in 1977, that's because we know more about Allen and his penchant for neuroses than we did then. Many of Allen's ideas have also been recycled since "Annie Hall" (oft-times by Woody himself) and so it feels occasionally like a rerun. Still, the after-effects of a big love affair are clearly heartfelt, and the nostalgia near the finale is expertly conveyed. Long after the jokes are played out, "Annie Hall" still rings true simply for the pathos, which Woody pretends to toss off with a sad little shrug but which really stand the test of time. *** from ****

People love 'Annie Hall'. They rave about it and regularly claim it's the most influential film on their lives. So I watched it. And I can't say it did much for me. Sorry. I think it's mainly down to the fact that I found Woody Allen's character annoying. Yes, it was endearing for a bit, but over the course of the film I lost patience with him and his neurotic behaviour. At times it felt more like a collection of sketches rather than a film, with some being funny, and others not. My review is largely pointless, I know. Those that love 'Annie Hall' will continue to watch it and get others to do so too. But for me 'Annie Hall' is a tad overrated.

Another world according to Woody, with some especially acute observations and witticisms about almost everything, but always with an exceptionally pessimistic pass. Flows fluently from beginning to end, seldom comes up for air and leaves us with an overflowing half full glass of confusion, misery and despair but always with perspective and a few chuckles.

Woody Allen's masterpiece will always be "Annie Hall." What is most remarkable today about this film is the way Allen presents it. It's a movie about a relationship. But rather than taking a linear approach, Allen plays with time. We see the middle, the begining, and the end. And not always in that order. Allen also breaks the fourth wall a lot and has many dream sequences and asides which add to the complexity of the characters. This is a highly autobiographical film and Allen pulls no punches. This movie is not about romance in the way that "Breakfast at Tiffany's" is. Rather, "Annie Hall" is a deconstruction of a romance. At times it is funny and heartbreaking and always classic. "Love fades," indeed.