Description: Considered to be "Woody Allen's breakthrough movie" (Time), Annie Hall won* four OscarsÂ(r), including Best Picture, and established Allen as the premier auteur filmmaker. Thought by many critics to be Allen's magnum opus, Annie Hall confirmed that he had, "completed the journey from comic to humorist, from comedy writer to wit [and] from inventive moviemaker to creative artist" (Saturday Review). Alvy Singer (Allen) is one of Manhattan's most brilliant comedians, but when it comes to romance, his delivery needs a little work. Introduced byhis best friend, Rob (Tony Roberts), Alvy falls in love with the ditzy but delightful nightclub singer, Annie Hall (Diane Keaton). When his own insecurities sabotage the affair, Annie is forced to leave Alvy for a new lifeand lover (Paul Simon)in Los Angeles. Knowing he may have lost Annie forever, Alvy's willing to go to any lengthseven driving L.A.'s freewaysto recapture the only thing that ever mattered'true love. *1977: Picture; Actress (Keaton); Director; Original Screenplay
Amazon.com essential video: Annie Hall is one of the truest, most bittersweet romances on film. In it, Allen plays a thinly disguised version of himself: Alvy Singer, a successful--if neurotic--television comedian living in Manhattan. Annie (the wholesomely luminous Dianne Keaton) is a Midwestern transplant who dabbles in photography and sings in small clubs. When the two meet, the sparks are immediate--if repressed. Alone in her apartment for the first time, Alvy and Annie navigate a minefield of self-conscious "is-this-person-someone-I'd-want-to-get-involved-with?" conversation. As they speak, subtitles flash their unspoken thoughts: the likes of "I'm not smart enough for him" and "I sound like a jerk." Despite all their caution, they connect, and we're swept up in the flush of their new romance. Allen's antic sensibility shines here in a series of flashbacks to Alvy's childhood, growing up, quite literally, under a rumbling roller coaster. His boisterous Jewish family's dinner table shares a split screen with the WASP-y Hall's tight-lipped holiday table, one Alvy has joined for the first time. His position as outsider is uncontestable he looks down the table and sizes up Annie's "Grammy Hall" as "a classic Jew-hater."
The relationship arcs, as does Annie's growing desire for independence. It quickly becomes clear that the two are on separate tracks, as what was once endearing becomes annoying. Annie Hall embraces Allen's central themes--his love affair with New York (and hatred of Los Angeles), how impossible relationships are, and his fear of death. But their balance is just right, the chemistry between Allen's worry-wart Alvy and Keaton's gangly, loopy Annie is one of the screen's best pairings. It couldn't be more engaging. --Susan Benson
Beautifully constructed story of a genuine, pure and real relationship... Hailed as Woody Allen's finest film, `Annie Hall' has some pretty weighty expectations to live up to, and what amazes me is that each and every time I watch it I am reminded of why Allen is loved to much among the cinemaphiles like myself. Now I admit to not having seen much Allen, and I admit that the first time I saw `Annie Hall' I shut it off about ten minutes in because I couldn't get into it. I was put off by Allen's style of storytelling. Then I saw some of Allen's more recent work, like `Match Point' and the ever brilliant `Hannah and Her Sisters' (I know, not really recent) and I was prompted to give `Annie Hall' another try. I found that the opening didn't put me off as much as I remembered and soon I was completely engrossed in the film.
I seriously couldn't take my eyes off the screen.
I can't for the life of me decide which film I truly prefer (`Annie Hall' or `Hannah and Her Sisters') but fact remains that both films are cinematic gems. Once one grows accustomed to Allen's flare for storytelling you become a part of his story, as if you were hearing each word from a dear friend. Sure, the delivery is sporadic and spontaneous and at times it throws you off, but that's the kind of friend Woody Allen is; he's kind of crazy, but in a good way.
The film tells the story of comedian Alvy Singer who falls in love with Annie Hall, a ditzy yet tantalizing young woman. The film really just tells us of their relationship; the good and bad times, the fights and intimacies and really fleshes out these two people right before our eyes.
What I think is so poignant about `Annie Hall' is that it depicts a relationship that is as average as they come and so any and everyone can relate and draw from this film. The audience can immediately place themselves in the film and understand both Singer and Hall and this helps the audience make a personal and emotional connection to the material; thus causing us to care deeply about the outcome. The film beautifully captures the strains that insecurities and difference can cause on a relationship and approaches the subjects of independence and desire with precision and grace.
The film is only elevated by the brilliant performances by the two leads. Keaton, who rightfully won the Oscar for her performance, is exciting and mysterious, intriguing and complex. Her character is desirous from the very beginning and she builds on her intricacies magnificently. Allen is a revelation, and in all honesty my favorite part of the film. His neurotic shtick can get a little tiresome (as was seen in `Scoop') but here he is genuine and passionate with his delivery, to the point where he is not only tolerable but wholly enjoyable.
`Annie Hall' has already received classic status and will always be regarded as one of the finest films of all time. I'm here to simply agree and urge anyone who has yet to see the film to check it out ASAP. Coming from a man who was once put off by the auteur that is Woody Allen, this is truly an astounding film. Set aside any preconceived notions of what you're going to see and just dive right it, for this film has everything a movie lover needs to survive.
Annie Hall? Annie Hall! Very funny, smart, and entertaining. I wish I'd never seen this movie, so that I could see it now for the first time. What a wonderful, funny, smart, entertaining film. So many clever gags, so much great smart New York dialog. Woody manages to weave together a story that jumps from coast to coast, from live action to animated, from serious to hilarious, and keeps it all flowing and fun. Truly one of the most enjoyable films ever.
The deranged New York critics should be hung for making this monstrosity a "classic". There's one funny line in this whole crappy, annoying, incredibly overrated movie- just one. It's when Woody Allen visits the LA home of some stereotypical Hollywood types and we see a young Jeff Goldblum on the phone with his guru telling him "I forgot my mantra". I laughed at that. As for the rest, it's pretty much garbage. Woody Allen is so disgusting to even look at, never mind listen to, that the movie is almost impossible to endure. I know he's only a memory these days, but how did the world tolerate him in his prime? How did he become a success? I understand that New York and LA are full of his kind of people, but did he really have an audience in the rest of the country? If so, I think it must have been made up of Middle American poseurs who wanted to be seen as superior intellects because they were fans of the "smart" Jewish comic from New York: "Har har har- Woody Allen just referenced the Oedipus Complex in his joke. I understand that reference, so I must be smart too! Har har, do_you_get it?". This is the first Woody Allen movie I've ever seen, and I think it will be the last. In addition to his lack of talent, and his supremely irritating appearance, voice, personality, and opinions, all he does is make really, really lame jokes. He gets girl (even if Diane Keaton is a drip, she's still out of his league) and loses girl. Believe me, it's pretty bad.
Annie Hall This DVD arrived very quickly for standard mail and was in excellent condition. I would have appreciated some kind of bonus feature or two, but there was none. Then again, if the product is associated with Woody Allen, it seems very much his style. As for the movie itself, it's one of Allen's best, thanks to Diane Keaton. It's hard to believe the movie is now over 30 years old, but Keaton is as charming as ever. The 3 star rating is for the skimpy DVD. Keaton is a 5 star actor.
Oh, Oscar, how could you? Annie Hall (Woody Allen, 1977)
I've never been a big Woody Allen fan, but all the critics scream about Annie Hall, which won the Best Picture Academy Award in 1977 (along with three others, including Best Director and Best Actress for Diane Keaton). So I figured I'd give it a shot and see if I've just been missing something all these years. I haven't. I can't for the life of me figure out why anyone thinks Woody Allen is funny, and this movie didn't help in the least. Worse, while I can understand that the temporality of the film was a big plus when it was originally released, watching the tropes of seventies life thirty years later is more tiresome than nostalgic. We lived through it once, why do we need to watch it on a screen? If you insist, documentaries are better-suited for this sort of thing. There's some decent acting, and Allen's direction is at least competent, but those facets just serve to highlight that there's nothing going on here worth being concerned about. *
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