Even in a career that spans more than three decades, Annie Hall remains Woody Allen's most personal and introspective film. In this classic bittersweet romantic comedy, Allen stars as comedian Alvy Singer (but he may as well be playing himself) and Diane Keaton does a wonderful job of playing Annie Hall.
The entire movie takes part from Alvy's point of view as he reminisces about his relationship with Annie Hall, but it is far from a traditional Hollywood narrative. The raw-nerved honesty of this film rings absolutely true. It is for certain that most people are able to find parts of this film and its characters that remind them of themselves.
'Annie Hall' is brilliant and incredibly entertaining--this is mostly due to Allen's witty and intelligent script. The jokes come fast and furious (the funniest being a pompous professor's encounter with Marshall McLuhan) and the relationship between Alvy and Annie is genuinely compelling--so much so that, even though we find out right at the beginning that their relationship is doomed, we're still hoping they'll find a way to make it work.
It is interesting to note that quite a lot of mythology has grown up around this film over the years. People assume that it is a direct translation of Keaton and Allen's relationship to the screen. Certainly there are elements of their real lives and characters shown in the film. Diane Keaton's real name is Diane Hall, her nickname was Annie, and her grandmother was known in the family as 'Grammy Hall'. Keaton is a fine photographer, and much of her work adorned the walls of the 'flat' during the making of the film. Neither of them likes lobsters, and in the 'lobster behind the fridge' sequence you gain a sense of the real people, rather than 'actors acting'. Keaton's snorts of laughter and attempts to photograph Alvy's antics with his trophy before it is dropped into a pot of boiling water (poor thing!) seem more impromptu than staged.
It has been said that if it wasn't for this film there would be no 'Ally McBeal'. That very well may be. But, in my mind, there is no doubt that this unique and quirky film has had a profound influence on much more than just 'Ally McBeal'...the least of which is...me.
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