So, I’m currently getting back in touch with a lot of things because of recent events. Myself, and my love of movies for sure. But the cynical movie critic in me has really come forth- so I’m getting into watching old supposed classics. What better timing to get into early Woody Allen films apparently, since I finally watched ‘Annie Hall’ last week before seeing the new ‘Ebert presents’ review show. Showcasing an old episode in which Ebert and Gene Siskel, the original television critics, compare and contrast Mel Brooks and Woody Allen. Siskel was for Allen, Ebert for Brooks…I agree with Siskel.
I’ve wanted to watch ‘Annie Hall’ for awhile now. But I was surprised to like it as much as I did. It had a definite flow and energy to it. The performances were all raw, felt on the spot. It moved quickly, didn’t overstay it’s welcome, and ended on a bleak yet somewhat still uplifting final break-up. It was a charming movie, still, through and through.
‘Manhattan’ I instant queued right after watching the ‘Ebert presents’ special, and I must say I really enjoyed it. I really like Diane Keaton, she’s different and has a style all her own. She steals ‘Annie Hall’ and ‘Manhattan’ from Allen, but I think he wants her to. His neurotic passion for everything is inspiring, cause everything tends to work in his favor, even when they break-up for good in ‘Hall’. You still feel as if he’ll neurotically go through life happy. I don’t want to be neurotic, but I have my moments. Everyone does. He’s a walking neurotic awareness poster.
‘Manhattan’ was obviously a love letter to New York. I’ve never wanted to visit the city more. And I must say I rarely enjoy black & white films, but being an obvious creative choice I have to say it’s probably my favorite B&W film I’ve seen. He plays with the B&W in a way to wear it makes the film, one, timeless, and two, an effect. Turning on and off of lights, the screen goes dark but the neurotic babble commences. But it’s always interesting babble. I enjoy films about dialogue, when it’s done in truly effective ways.
Take anything from Quentin Tarantino, Scorsese, Spielberg, all the greats- all those classic films are ripe with sparkling dialogue. ‘The Social Network’ felt like the most amazing run-on sentence in cinema history. It never skipped a beat. Out of recent, and by recent I mean “my” movie-going life in an actual theater, only two Woody Allen films stood out to me. ‘Match Point’ and ‘Vicky Cristina Barcelona’- two very different films, both neurotic without truly neurotic characters. ‘Match Point’ was an especially effective thriller, nothing funny about it at all really. I’m not surprised to hear Ebert and Siskel discuss ‘Manhattan’ as Allen growing more serious, as obviously he did just that. I’ve not seen ‘Midnight in Paris’ but I might make sure to get out to see it this week before it’s gone.
‘Annie Hall’ and ‘Manhattan’ both would get a solid A+
