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The Woody Allen Challenge

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I was discussing favorite films with a friend (East coast Jewish), who raved about Annie Hall. I said I didn't like Woody Allen. I'd seen a couple of his movies and wasn't impressed. She said, "Well, there is a lot of New York humor in it, maybe you wouldn't know the references." OK, I AM from Ohio, but I am NOT a rube! I really wanted to tell her off, but I watched Annie instead. Then I thanked her for offending me, because this movie is wonderfully quirky and very funny. Since then, I have had to watch every Woody Allen movie. Not all of them are good, it's true, but some are absolute gems. Annie Hall is a gem. It's a romantic comedy about an unlikely couple, dialogue-heavy, and sprinkled with flashbacks of Alvy's life before Annie. You must listen to the dialogue to appreciate the film; this is key to appreciating Allen's work. If you don't pay close attention, you'll miss the very funniest bits. I was chuckling throughout the film, by the end, I had a stomachache. I'm so glad I watched this. In the 20 years since, I've laughed over it many times. I noticed after watching that it's paid homage from time to time. For instance, the TV show "The Simpsons" lampooned the lobster scene. References to this movie are ubiquitous. Even if you haven't seen the film, you've seen bits and pieces copied. It truly became an iconic film. By the way, I am not a fan of romantic comedies in general, so I don't have a lot of patience with the genre. But since I took my friend's dare, I've also taken the opportunity to watch "Manhatten Murder Mystery," "Bullets Over Broadway," and the brilliant "Match Point." My universe is expanding.

SEEMS LIKE OLD TIMES	Customer Rating:
Love this movie and watch it more than once more than twice. This movie is a classic and never gets old. But, on what CD could I find Diane Keaton singing "Seems Like Old Times"? I am a singer and just down loaded the lyrics. She has such a sweet voice and should record. Come on Diane, you can do it!!

Sex with you is Kafkaesque....	Customer Rating:
Go figure. I'm a right-wing conservative but I love Woody Allen and I especially love Annie Hall. It is, no doubt, a generational thing. I knew her--or somebody very much like her--and it's still bittersweet. I loved her and I love Annie Hall. What else is there to say. Ron

"I Love Being Reduced To A Cultural Sterotype"

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While Woody Allen had a large, devoted cult following which began around the mid-sixties, it wasn't until the release of the highly acclaimed, academy award winning `Annie Hall' in '77 that the rest of the world finally caught up with this comic giant and brought his cutting edge cinematic style into the mainstream. His self-analytical persona was perfect for the growingly narcissistic American public and the way he introduced the audience into the storyline of his films by intermittently turning towards the screen as though it were a person and engaging the viewer with questions and comments was nothing short of pure genius (The legendary Bob Hope made use of this active audience participation technique years earlier but not to the extent and effectiveness as Woody). While my particular favorite Woody Allen film happens to be `Love and Death released in '75, I can see why `Annie Hall' is by-in-large the film most people will point to as his apex in filmmaking. It really is the ultimate American comedy containing all the 20th century angst his name as become synonymous with; fear of failure, fear of success, fear of relationships, fear of being alone, fear of an ever-expanding universe. We find ourselves in his insecurities and his self-loathing in such classic statements as, `I just don't want to belong to any club that would have me for a member". We've all been there at one time or another in life. That's what makes it so hilarious. If you have only one Woody Allen film in your personal library it should be this one (well, maybe you should throw `Love and Death' in there too)!

my favorite movie about a relationship, ever.

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Someone told me a few years ago that I'd love "Annie Hall," and I held off seeing it because that person was an ex-boyfriend. But he was right - and it is a great movie about a maddeningly wonderful and neurotic ex-girlfriend. basic, basic plot: Woody Allen's character reminisces about his already-done relationship with Annie Hall. It's funnily sad, not sadly funny, which is probably the best way to look back. Diane Keaton and the supporting cast all work well together. It's not at all dated. I laughed a whole lot through it and it is honest in its depiction of how a relationship doesn't necessarily need some major drama to end - sometimes, it's just time to go, and the getting out is tough. In that sense, I found this movie surprisingly realistic, and wish more movies would explore this less exciting, but equally interesting dimension of human relationships. What isn't realistic, however, is how TOTALLY GORGEOUS the cinematography is. I wish all our memories of falling in and out of love in a city were so lovely. Watch it with someone you can talk about it with. I had no idea so many scenes from the movie were ripped off, and it is a testament to how groundbreaking it was.