Week 6: Annie Hall (1977)

NOTE: Don’t call it a comeback, I been here for years. Well, months. And I’ve back in. Enjoy my reviews, and check out the ones listed below.

Before Viewing

 When I was a kid, it seems like Woody Allen was in his cinematic heyday. Years before Soon-Yi and his trips to Europe, he was THE American Filmmaker. New York was his setting, and he knew it well. I was aware of Woody Allen at a young age, but at the time my interests were films about space and robots, not neurotic thirtysomethings. Needless to say, I had virtually no exposure to his films as a youth. In fact, I didn’t see my first Woody Allen film until last year, when I finally saw ‘Manhattan’. It was a great film, beautifully shot in black and white. I loved it. I’m looking forward to seeing many more of his films. First on the list is the film many people consider to be his best, the one that beat my beloved ‘Star Wars’ out for Best Picture of 1977- ‘Annie Hall’. I’ve read all about it plays with structure and the fourth wall as well as how much it was influenced by Bergman, so I’m looking forware to a funny and creative experience. 

My Thoughts After Viewing

 Watching this film was truly an enjoyable experience. I will say this about Woody Allen- his films are so creative and fun that you can’t help but like them. The one thing that amazes me is how effortless they seem to be- that is, they have such a documentary-like feel to them that that just comes across as spontaneous and unscripted. I enjoyed the way he played with structure on this film. It jumped around, but not in a confusing way. It was clear what was going on, and it was done in a way that keep me interested. I know that Woody Allen sometimes gets criticized because people say all he can seem to play is a middle-aged neurotic Jewish man, but if he does it well, why would it be an issue?

Again, the thing I enjoyed most was the structure of the film. The way he used flashbacks and the way he broke the fourth wall was very clever. You can see how this film influenced many TV shows today that tend to do the same thing (and honestly, not as well). If you have seen a lot of Bergman and Fellini, you can also see the influence those filmmakers had on Allen. What appeals to me about Woody Allen is that he seems to take advantage of the medium. Rather than just plop the camera down in front of the actors and recording what they’re doing, in a lot of ways he makes the camera (and, by extension, the audience) active participants in the scene. Scorsese does that as well in certain key scenes, but not to the extent Allen does in Annie Hall. The way he mixed real life with fantasy was probably groundbreaking back in the late 70s, and it really makes me wish I was around in the heyday of his filmmaking (well, I WAS around, but I was only 4 when this film came out). 

The acting was great, but if you look at the cast, that’s to be expected (side note: Shelley Duvall in the 70s made a career out of playing the ugliest hot girl out there- but to me she’ll always be Olive Oil). It’s fun to see a  young Christopher Walken (playing what else- a psycho) and a very balding Paul Simon, along withg some of the other actors. I’ve seen Diane Keaton in other films, of course, but I really liked this character. I thought she’d be like her character in Manhattan, but she really wasn’t. It’s a credit to her.

It’s a funny movie that made me laugh out loud, mainly because the humor and comedy were drawn from real life.

The Final Say

 OK, it beat Star Wars fair and square. Go see it. I also plan to see more of his films.

Others doing the 52-in-52 thing this week:

• Jeremy reviews Jeremiah Johnson
• Jamie reviews Modern Times