Love or Friendship?

Rating: 9/10 (15 February 2009)

Woody Allen and Diane Keaton give us a bird's eye view of some of the joys and many of the pitfalls of the journey love and friendship can take. The refreshing candidness early on in the film gives us a hint of it's virtues of honesty and openness. Using his rather unique style, Mr. Allen almost confiding in us, the audience, talks to us as if we are amateur therapists and I found myself responding internally at his plight. At the same time we are taken to a lighter place with these potentially heavy issues of love as they pertain to relationships. I almost get a sense that these are the very issues that he holds close to his own heart and life experience, so much so that it allows for a relationship with this dominant character, beyond the sweet love story he tells. I wanted him to resolve the challenges and hurdles and reunite with his girl throughout.