Not 'just' a comedy

Rating: 10/10 (3 April 2010)

'Annie Hall' is not just the best film by Woody Allen, but also one of the best films of all time. It is about the way from a relationship to a friendship, because the characters are unable to love each other having problems loving themselves.
Alvy Singer is one of the best stand-up-comedians of Manhattan and desperately concerned with himself. He is the stereotype of the neurotic Intellectual. The Film tells us about his past relationships to other women and of course to the singer Annie Hall. Both seem to be the same type and to have the same problems, until Annie gets the chance of develop herself. She meets the music producer Tony Roberts (played by Paul Simon)and leaves Alvy to move to L.A. ...
What at first sight seems to be a rather romantic comedy, is eventually a critical view at the egocentrical behaviour of the modern man. In the last scene of the film, Alvy tells a joke about a man going to a doctor. He tells him, that his brother is crazy, as he thinks he is a chicken. The doctor tells him to move him into a hospital, but the man explains, that he needs the eggs. And that is the way, the modern, neurotic man thinks about relationships to other people. Many of us are not in love with a person, but with the feeling of this love and engagement. We need the eggs to feel better and not to feel the loneliness and desperation of our lives and the incapacity to be happy, which was the original title of the film.
It is a very dark and critical view, but it is the truth. The balance between comedy and tragic makes this film one of the best of all times and deserves every one of its awards, not to forget the brilliant performance of Diane Keaton.