The neurotic romance

Rating: 9/10 (5 August 2012)

Annie Hall tells the story of Alvie Singer, played by the big neurotic of cinema himself, Woody Allen, and his relationship with the title-giving Annie. Woody Allen who also directed tells the story through direct-to-camera narration and episodes from his relationship with Annie.
Alvie Singer is a neurotic New-Yorker who spends his days lost in confusion, pondering the big questions of life and love. He is continuously looking for something, emotionally and intellectually and makes his living entertaining people as a comedian with his neurotic obsessions. He dislikes the intellectual establishment and instead looks for his own answers. Woody Allen's excellent comedic performance is the center of this fantastic film.
He falls in love and gets into a relationship with the singer Annie Hall and as their relationship gets more serious she feels suffocated by his obsessive intellectual urge and looks for a more mellow lifestyle, which Woody Allen's character can't stand. It's unbearable for him to see her turn her back to intellectualism and to a more relaxed lifestyle. In perhaps one of the funniest moments in the film Alvie Singer even tries to replicate his relationship with Annie in a play but instead of her turning her back to him in his version she comes back to his intellectual island because for him it's obvious that that's what the world needs.
Looking back on his romance Woody Allen concludes that relationships are always going to be confusing and heart-wrenching and soul-crushing but yet they are an essential part of life and we keep pursuing them. Like Alvie Singer we should always keep pushing forward, explore and get lost. This film is heartbreaking and extremely funny it has excellent dialogue and an outstanding performance and is a must see for anyone who has had his heart broken or will in the future.