New York angst on the romance couch.

Rating: 8/10 (28 December 2005)

Annie Hall shows us the love story between Alvy Singer (Woody Allen) and Annie Hall (Diane Keaton). We watch Alvy as he matures and moves through several relationships set against the true love of his life: Annie Hall.
Alvy helps Annie grow and come out of her shell as evinced by the growth of Annies blossoming singing career. Even the songs are a metaphor for their relationship. Her first song "It had to be you" when their relationship starts. Later she sings in a mature, sultry voice "Seems like old times." Set against snapshots of their romance.
Keep your eye out for these young actors: Christopher Walken pre-Deer Hunter, as Annie's psycho brother "I dream of turning the wheel into the on coming lights." Alvy interrupts him "I have to get back to the planet earth." Jeff Goldblum pre-Big Chill, Jurassic Park, The Fly, In Tony Lacey's house calling his guru: "I forgot my mantra." Paul Simon as Tony Lacey a Californian music star. Carol Kane as Alvy's first wife whose relationship is influenced by Alvy's obsession with JFK's assassination conspiracy theories. Colleen Dewhurst, Annie's WASP mother, talking through the split screen to Alvy's mother. See if you can spot Sigourney Weaver as Alvy's date standing in front of the movie theater when Alvy meets Annie in NY at the end of the movie. Watch Gary Mule Deer in full afro when Alvy meets Annie in California. Now Gary tours with Johnny Mathis. Shelly Duvall as the transcendent Rolling Stone reporter. In a few years she will become Olive Oyl then Wendy of the famous "Here's Johnny" scene from the shining. My, how this movie hasn't aged at all. And that really is Truman Capote walking through the park when Alvy says, "And this guy gets the Truman Capote look-alike award."
You have got to like Tony Robbins, a square jawed ladies man in many of Woody Allen's movies (Radio Days, A midsummer nights sex comedy, Play it again Sam). You don't mind seeing Robbins type cast because you instantly know that he is going to be the perfect opposite of Allen's angst filled Alvy.
Another Woody Allen directing feature that I happen to like is his use of the split screen and the fixed screen. In both, the camera doesn't move thereby forcing you to get involved in the dialogue. These techniques work because Woody Allen has strong, tight dialogue and truly dramatic actors.
Many of the scenes from the late 70's and early 80's are wonderful to watch because they reflect the matter of fact mores and fads of the time: Snorting cocaine was cool, the veggie-burger-tofu California scene, the liberal Columbia college satire.
Listen carefully to the background chatter during the California scene at Tony Lacey's house with swinging' hip background music. Hysterical lines that you can use in your office today: "Right now it is only a notion, but I think I can get the money to make it into a concept then later turn it into an idea." Woody Allen has satirized and captured the language and mind set of the entire movie/music industries.
A memorable scene is when Alvy pulls Marshall McLuhan out from behind a movie placard to refute some bombastic guy pontificating about McLuhan's poetry. You wish you could do the same.
Truly a great movie that ages well and has a sweet message about romance.