Wonderful film

Rating: 8/10 (15 July 2004)

Somehow, I just saw this film for the first time the other night. My excuse is that I was born in 1982 and it takes a really long time to see every 'classic' that was made up to that point, especially when I'm barely able to keep up with the ones made in my lifetime. Anyhow, this was an incredibly creative film in many ways: Allen jumps into asides unexpectedly, at one point even dragging other characters into them; the story is told in seemingly random sequence; the characters are complex and every scene serves to develop them (as opposed the Hollywood's usual 5 minute 'crash course' in its characters). Allen takes small jabs at the L.A. lifestyle, which are frequently hilarious (there's no litter because they turn all their trash into TV shows... awesome!), and gives love to sweet, sweet NYC.
As far as the comedy goes, this is one funny movie! I laughed very frequently (a euphoric, free kind of laugh, as opposed to the guilty, cringing kind of laugh that most modern comedy induces). While it may not be fall-out-of-your chair funny, it's sly, wise, original, stylistically varied humor, which is always refreshing.
Watching this made me realize how much it must have influenced the makers of some of my favorite films about relationships ("High Fidelity", "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"), and also how much I apparently love this sub genre of melancholy comedies (Shall we call them 'melanomedies'?). Indeed, "Annie Hall" is a melancholy film, as it focuses on the full spectrum of a romantic relationship. That spectrum involves a few wonderful highs, but unbearable pain as well. The overall feel of the film as well as its final voice-over keep it from being depressive in any sense, but this is certainly not a feel-good movie. This is a film that dares to venture outside of the very unreal world in which most movie characters seem to reside and into the world that makes up the hearts and minds of most average individuals For that, this movie fan is incredibly grateful.
The only criticism of this film I have (and it's a small knit-pick, mind you) is that it occasionally tends to meander totally off-track from anything relating to its overall story and purpose, as if Woody had a list of funny sketches lying around that he promised himself he'd slip into his next film one way or another. It works out okay, because the film is always entertaining and his transitions are smooth, but there are a few parts that really seem unnecessary in a film that's otherwise so thematically focused.
Whatever, this is still a wonderful little film with extraordinary acting from its two leads and writing more clever than 99.9% of all other films made, ever. Bravo! 8/10