Annie Hall ***** (1977, Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Tony Roberts) – Classic Movie Review 196

‘That was the most fun I’ve ever had without laughing.’

No doubt about it, this 1977 report on romance in the 70s and New Yorkers’ inability to enjoy pleasure, is the quintessential Woody Allen movie, and most people’s favourite of his films. The Best Picture winner for producer Charles H Joffe, it won Allen a brace of Oscars for Best Direction and Best Original Screenplay (with Marshall Brickman) and turned him into a movie superstar. Diane Keaton’s Best Actress Oscar-winning performance as Annie Hall makes it four Academy Awards.

The first time Allen wove his comic obsessions into his characters rather than simply spinning them out as a series of half-related gags, it is supremely witty, sharp, clever, affecting and amusing, with some great one-liners (‘Hey don’t knock masturbation, it’s sex with someone I love.’) The first work of his middle-aged maturity, it set him off on drilling an endlessly rich seam of gold that he’s till mining 40 years later.

Arguably, it’s Allen’s funniest movie, providing the most consistent laughs, though, again arguably, it falls just short of being his finest film. Great though it is, it’s nowhere near ‘the best comedy of all time’, as its sometimes touted. You could say it’s not quite on a par with Manhattan (1979) or Hannah and her Sisters (1986) for instance. They’re more mature, more sophisticated and more polished, but they wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for Annie Hall.

The semi-autobiographical romantic comedy story about a neurotic New York Jewish comedy writer’s anxious affair with a ditzy WASP aspiring singer from the mid-West is a very personal one. It pretty much clearly reflects Woody’s affair with co-star Diane Keaton (her real-life family name is Hall; she’s Diane Hall and her nickname is Annie) – and they even separated before the film was released. There are however traces of Allen’s previous relationship with folk singer Judy Henske in the script.

Funny it may be but subtle maybe not. The film comes to the pretty obvious conclusion that birds of a feather can flock together, but two neurotic people can’t equal one successful relationship. Duh!

Allen’s twitchy, dithery birdlike nervous performance as Alvy Singer is hysterical, one of his best. Keaton’s Best Actress Oscar-winning performance as Annie Hall reflects the movie. It’s witty and funny, with plenty of 70s modish style and just a little bit abrasive and irritating. I’d certainly put her oft-uttered ‘La dee dah!’ in that category.

It was very influential, turning the actress, character and her clothes into a late-70s icon of style and fashion. Maybe hard to believe now, but Annie’s outfits, actually Keaton’s own, were a fashion statement for a while. Now, the film speaks to you as just a poignant snapshot of a vanished age.

Unfortunately, Jeff Goldblum (party guest who forget his mantra), Christopher Walken, Beverly D’Angelo and Sigourney Weaver (her debut in a non-speaking role as Alvy’s date at the end of the film) don’t really have anything to do. They’re all wasted. That’s a huge missed opportunity.

The notoriously private and internal Woody spent Oscar night blowing sax as usual at his favourite Manhattan jazz club. Maybe he didn’t expect to win. His character here never would have won.

Allen: ‘Even as a kid I always went for the wrong women. When my mother took me to Snow White I immediately fell for the wicked queen.’

The script was originally conceived as a murder mystery. This dropped element was revived and gainfully used when Allen and Brickman wrote Manhattan Murder Mystery. Writers don’t waste anything!

The first cut ran two hours 20 minutes before being hacked to 94 minutes. Tiny roles for Harvey Fierstein and Danny Aiello were cut.

The man Alvy refers to as the Winner of the Truman Capote Lookalike Contest is of course in fact Truman Capote.

Beautifully crafted, by the way, with eye-catching cinematography by Gordon Willis, it was an enormous box-office success on a low cost, happily ensuring Allen can carry on making movies till he drops. Propelled by the Oscar success, it took ten times its $4million cost in the US alone.

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© Derek Winnert 2013 Classic Movie Review 196

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