Maybe a bit overrated, but still a fine motion picture

Rating: 7/10 (12 February 2004)

I wouldn't go as far as say this deserved the Oscar for Best Picture, but I liked it nonetheless. It's entertaining and original, and like all of Woody Allen's films there are many memorable quotes. My favorite is when Woody discovers a bar of black soap in the bathroom and says to Annie, "What are you, joining a minstrel show?" That line had me laughing for about 5 minutes straight! I'm not going to be a snob and say I don't like low-brow sexual humor, but it's always good to see a film that doesn't rely highly on it--and "Annie Hall" is one of those films. Even the jokes that contain sexual references are done tastefully and intelligently, like when the couple are trying to make love, but she finds the sound of airplanes flying by distracting. Woody rants, "What are we supposed to do? Tell 'em they can't fly any more planes so we can make love?" In other words, the jokes and gags in this movie don't insult your intelligence. A person with an I.Q. of 30 would have a problem finding the humor in this movie. The meandering plot structure, if you can call it that, gets a bit jarring at times. However, there's enough entertaining moments in the movie to make it worth seeing, especially if you're a Woody Allen fan. Some people don't get him, but I'm a neurotic myself, so his humor doesn't fly over my head.

My score: 7 (out of 10)