It Works Despite Itself

Rating: 9/10 (30 July 2017)

Woody Allen's "Annie Hall" works despite some flaws mostly in Allen's direction. This is likely due to the fact that Allen wasn't entirely sure what the film was going to be about but the film editor Ralph Rosenblum was instrumental in putting all the pieces together. It doesn't matter how it was put together: the final product is terrific. I wish I could watch it fresh all over again. It's comedic scenes are unpredictable, Allen's one liners are often priceless. It is partly an autobiography (of sorts) about Allen that morphs into focusing on his relationship to Diane Keaton as Annie Hall. Keaton is tremendous here. She possesses everything a star actor needs: she's charming, pretty and smart. She captures the audiences affections early on and that is key to the film's success. "Annie Hall" is the only one of Allen's films that really feels human. The ending is truly touching, an achievement that Allen rarely was able to achieve (though he often tried very hard to).