Movie Minx

Starring: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton
Directed by: Woody Allen

Plot:Alvy Singer, a neurotic and geeky New York comedian who acts coincidentally like Woody Allen, falls in love with ditsy nightclub singer Annie Hall. They bicker a lot and have therapy.

But is it any good?

Annie Hall was comedian Woody Allen’s breakthrough movie. It won four Oscars - Best Picture (beating Star Wars!), Actress, Director and Original Screenplay. It introduced Allen as an auteur; you know, the kind who gets his own section of the video store, like Hitchcock.

That’s because Woody Allen movies are all about Woody. They’re self-reflexive, obsessed and involve Allen’s hang-ups (sex, politics, family, religion). Today a Woody Allen movie is fairly predictable, but I imagine in 1977 it was something pretty fresh. The snappy dialog, black humor, talking to the camera (now popular on Malcolm in the Middle), discussing sex problems and whining about how tough life is - well, it’s still good.

But it gets annoying. Allen’s neuroses and hang-ups splashed over the screen or directed at pretty young actresses, who mystifyingly find him attractive, becomes tiresome. Plus these days we have the added knowledge that Allen will go on to have a love affair with his teenage adopted daughter, Soon-Yi, in the early ’90s. Okay, they are still together and she has grown up. But it’s still kinda icky.

Still, there is much to enjoy here. The grown-up Singer’s appearance in his childhood memories is fantastic, as he challenges authority figures (”What did I do? It was just a natural sexual curiosity!” he exclaims as his teacher punishes his young self for kissing a classmate). There are shots of his nervous childhood spent living directly beneath a roller coaster at Coney Island. There are subtitles to reveal what Singer and Hall are really thinking as they nervously make chit-chat at her apartment.

Keaton gives a shining performance as Singer’s love obsession (and because she dated Allen in real life, this is a kind of post break-up catharsis, perhaps). She has her own hang-ups which are more than a match for his, but I was pleased when she hooked up with Paul Simon (well, Paul Simon playing someone like Paul Simon).

Overall, it’s witty, clever, lovely and imaginative. But just slightly needling in parts when Woody’s whining grates.

My rating: 7/10

Share This

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!