Mr-Fusion Hey, I'm not gonna lie, I watched "Annie Hall" to see what beat out "Star Wars" at the Oscars. And I can see why; it's a critical darling, and has left its own imprint on popular culture. Everything from sitcom to romantic comedy owes a debt to this movie.I liked this movie well enough, primarily for the script. It's playful with staging and multiple fourth-wall breaks (Woody Allen at his funniest here), and written for an adult audience. And Diane Keaton's ditzy performance added a necessary dose of sweetness. On the other hand, It was Allen's presence that sucked a good deal of enjoyment, at least for me. Had I seen this movie forty yeas ago, his neuroticism would've probably seemed a lot fresher to me. As it is, it feels overplayed and grating. But I also know I'll revisit this someday, and I'm probably in store for an epiphany. This just feels like one of those movies. 6/10

Sean Lamberger Woody Allen at his best: baring his insecurities and shortcomings, muttering and mumbling his way through a string of sharp, witty statements, experimenting with film techniques, admiring the lost landscape of 1970s New York and, still, finding time for a rich, colorful portrayal of a years-long romance. Allen and Diane Keaton really make the film work, their rapport is so smooth, easy and genuine. We want to see them tough it out together, because their good times are so pure and true, but we know that fresh infatuation has a relatively short shelf life and the characters' essential differences make a longer, more serious relationship impossible. We see it all in a string of short snapshots, an expert mix of vital moments that anyone who's been through such a whirlwind will no doubt recognize. Those early, sunny memories you won't forget and the later, stormier ones you can't. Funny and poignant, with a dash of playful fourth-wall recognizance to keep us on our toes, it expertly churns all sorts of universal emotions.

Eddie Cantillo Annie Hall(1977) Starring: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Tony Roberts, Carol Kane, Paul Simon, Shelley Duvall, Janet Margolin, Christopher Walken, and Colleen Dewhurst Directed By: Woody Allen Review A NERVOUS ROMANCE Hello Kiddies your pal the Cupid Critic here with one of the most influential romantic comedies that had it's own and beat Star Wars at the Oscars for Best Picture. Alvy Singer(Woody Allen) is one of Manhattan's most brilliant comedians, but when it comes to romance, his delivery needs a little work. Introduced by his best friend Rob(Tony Roberts) Alvy falls in love with the ditzy but delightful nightclub singer Annie Hall(Diane Keaton). When Alvy's own insecurities sabotage the affair, Annie is forced to leave Alvy for a new life-and lover(Paul Simon)-in LOs Angles. Knowing he may have lost Annie forever, Alvy's willing to go to great lengths- even driving L.A's freeways-to recapture the only thing that mattered-true love. I've been wanting to see this for a while, the first Woody Allen picture I ever saw was Blue Jasmine and I loved that film, granted its nothing like Annie Hall but it was a great character study. Annie Hall was also a best picture winner so that also made me more excited when I put the Bluray in. Annie Hall contains more intellectual wit and cultural references than any other movie to win an Oscar for best picture, and in winning the award in 1978 it edged out Star Wars, an outcome unthinkable today. The victory marked the beginning of Woody Allen's career as an important filmmaker(his work was funny but slight) and it signaled the end of the 1970s golden age of movies. Annie Hall is built on such dialogue and centers on conversation and monologue. Because it is just about everyone's favorite Woody Allen movie, because it won the Oscar, because it is a romantic comedy few viewers probably notice how much of it consist of people talking, simply talking. This is a movie that establishes its tone by constantly switching between tones: The switches reflect the restless mind of the filmmaker, turning away from the apparent subject of a scene to find the angle that reveals the joke. Annie Hall is a movie about a man who is always looking for the loopholes in perfection. Who can turn everything into a joke, and wishes he couldn't. I give Annie Hall a five out of five

chaswe-28402 One is when Marshall McLuhan makes a personal appearance. No memory of what he said. I saw this film several years ago, but could only remember this scene, and when Woody turns into a Rabbi at the Hall family dinner table. The jokes come thick and fast, but they are not really very funny. American one-liners. They don't travel well; and some are quite old and re-cycled anyway.It's highly self-referential. Embarrassingly self-pitying, I fear. There isn't a lot different between this Woody, and the unfunny comic he makes fun of. He used to write jokes for other comedians, and I suppose that episode reminded him of the tedious, unrewarding business. What he's doing here is putting us, the audience, in the place of the psychotherapist, and then stretching out on a cinematic couch and telling us all his problems. In fact, that's what he says in the opening scene, when he addresses the viewer directly. But are his problems of more than passing interest to the world ? Reminds me of Two-Way Blacktop, where the hitch-hiker says he doesn't want to know about GTO's history.Still, I did watch it all the way through. Perhaps I was waiting for it to improve. But it didn't. Critics have called it dated, although I don't associate it with any particular date. Other Woody Allen films that I've seen are streaks better. The Purple Rose of Cairo is a very good, inventive, moving example.