Movie Notes: Annie Hall
June 20th, 2009
= 5 stars
Starring Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Tony Roberts
Directed by Woody Allen
Woody Allen polarizes many. I find his whiny life observations true, succinct, and hilarious. But I know those who can’t get beyond his personal life, or write him – and his stock Allen character that appears in most of his films – off, as overtly annoying.
In Annie Hall, Allen’s Alvy Singer is the stock Allen character at its most accessible. Yes, he’s bleak, pessimistic, and antisocial – yet he yearns for human connection and love. In direct contrast, Annie Hall (Diane Keaton) is an aspiring singer from the midwest, with a flighty personality, eclectic wardrobe, insecure streak, who uses words like “Grammy,” “la-dee-da,” and “neat.” Annie provides much of the “up” in contrast with Alvy’s incessant “down.”
From the start of their romance, it’s obvious they’re an odd fit. They argue whether or not to see a movie that’s already begun – to neurotic Alvy, this breaks a holy movie-going rule that he insists everyone else follow. Annie finds Alvy’s cynicism and incompetence as endearing and entertaining, and they complement each other. This is the simplicity of the famous “lobster scene” – Alvy’s failure makes Annie laugh, a specific romantic situation that Alvy futilely attempts to recreate with future dates, and he learns that reaction was particular to her.
Alvy and Annie move from relationship stages familiar, dating, meeting family, petty disagreements, and moving in together. Their personality differences (manifested in different life-goals) are eventually deemed insurmountable. Especially heart-breaking is Alvy’s pathetic marriage proposal following Annie’s move to Los Angeles. Eventually, Annie Hall shows courage in managing to find a zen-like acceptance in their painful but inevitable break-up.
Allen also uses an impressive variety of film techniques for narrative effect. An adult Alvy appears in a flashback of his own childhood. Alvy and Annie visit a flashback of a younger Annie being seduced by a past lover. Subtitles are used to reveal unspoken thoughts. Visual overlays demonstrate an “out of body” experience, people talking between split-screens, and even a cartoon segment. Each instance is a clever surprise, and none feels gratuitous.
But there’s also tons of jokes. Alvy’s dislike of California leads to some classic observations: the immorality of canned laughter, difficulty of driving everywhere, Christmas with no snow, and biting lines such as “I’ll have the alfalfa sprouts and a plate of mashed yeast.”
A few gripes: Alvy has a litany of past relationships, and while one example would do; instead we get three. Second, Alvy’s best friend Rob (Tony Roberts) isn’t particularly helpful. Following his move to Los Angeles he’s got a couple great lines, but overall, seems to be little more than a brick wall for Alvy to rattle off a litany of paranoid observations and complaints. Most strange, he seems rather unenthused by Annie and unconcerned over Alvy’s romantic torment. I suppose the sunlight in California destroyed his personality.
Ultimately, Annie Hall won four Academy Awards, beating out Star Wars for best picture, earning Keaton Best Actress, and Allen Best Director. Even with Allen’s recent, resurgent output (Match Point, Vicky Christina Barcelona) – it’s difficult to see him ever repeating that feat.
Annie Hall remains Allen’s masterpiece, and is my personal litumus test for anyone’s tolerance of Allen movies in general. If you don’t empathize with Alvy’s love for the elusive Annie, go no further. And you probably love California.
Next Woody Allen Movie: Interiors
Previous Woody Allen Movie: Love And Death
IMDB: Annie Hall
Wikipedia: Annie Hall
Rotten Tomates: Annie Hall 98%
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Posted In: 5 Star Movies, Movies 5 stars, Diane Keaton, Tony Roberts, Woody Allen
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