Allen and Keaton at their Best

Rating: 10/10 (30 April 2006)

"Annie Hall" can definitively be called director Woody Allen's masterpiece. Starring director Allen as Alvy Singer and Diane Keaton in the title role, "Annie Hall" is comedic look at a relationship between two lovers (Allen and Keaton) and the problems that plague their "nervous romance," as the tag line says.
"Annie Hall" begins with a short monologue by Allen telling two jokes about how he feels about life, thus providing the set up for the character of Alvy Singer, which is further built up by a comedic look at his childhood, reminiscent of what we know about George Costanza's from "Seinfeld." From the beginning of his life, we learn Alvy has always been preoccupied with sex and girls.
The whole film is essentially a series of flashbacks about his relationship with Annie. We see how perfect they are for each other when they meet, both mutual with nervousness and verbal clumsiness. After he first meets Annie, more of the character of Alvy is revealed by revealing his fears- Annie's driving and death.
But we can't forget Annie. Diane Keaton's Annie is wonderfully performed because she isn't trying to be funny, she just is. Keaton's Annie is wonderfully different from Allen's Alvy as can be seen by her quirks, habits, and past relationships. When Alvy is uptight about sex, Annie is calm. When Alvy is neurotic about drugs, Annie is relaxed. When Alvy is whining about anti-Semitism, Annie talks about her Grammy Hall.
From a scene where Alvy and Annie visit her family in Chippewas Falls, Wisconsin, it can be seen from the mild mannered dinner conversation they the Halls are obviously WASPs. Again, Alvy's Jewish insecurities are tested again when he calls Grammy Hall a "classic Jew-hater" (not to her face though.) In a split screen comparison, the Halls and Singers are seen conversing with each other, the Halls with civil manner and tongue, the Singers with random manner and dialogue "Annie Hall" is a funny, but yet poignant look on relationships and much of the material in this film can be applicable to today's relationship. This film examines relationship problems from sex, drugs, artificial stimulation, past relationships, break up, marriage, how to capture escaped lobsters, and staying friends after the relationship goes bust. Yes, indeed this film did deserves it's four Oscars (Picture, Director-Allen, Original Screenplay, Actress-Keaton).