Classic? I think not.

Rating: 4/10 (18 December 2005)

Back in 1977 Star Wars was conquering the entire world. Amassing box office numbers never before even imagined, Star Wars was truly becoming a massive part of American culture very, very quickly. With brilliant writing, casting, direction, and also a good dose of fun, Star Wars is hands-down one of the top movies of all time. It was expected to sweep the Oscars that year. But, the film would be overshadowed at the Oscars by the quiet film Annie Hall. Annie Hall put Woody Allen on the map and made him a star. The film would also launch the career of Diane Keaton. Using a very unique form of storytelling that would become perfected by Quinten Tarantino, Annie Hall is totally not the average love story, for many many reasons.
But, just because of it being a different kind of film, it does not make it any more entertaining. Annie Hall is charming, it does have a few laughs, but it is nowhere near the greatest film of all time. It is not worthy of the Best Picture Oscar, nor is it worthy of being listed as a true classic. Instead, the film should just be accepted as one of the more groundbreaking filming achievements of the 1970s, and nothing more. Woody Allen's one-joke film (the entire film focuses around the bizarre personality of the main character) clocks in at a decent amount of time and offers a realistic bittersweet ending, but seems to lack that punch that truly makes it a standout film.
The story revolves around a very nervous and neurotic comedian by the name of Alvy Singer who falls in love with this interesting and pretty singer Annie Hall. Throughout the film, you see the ups and downs of the relationships, and also get glimpses into the pasts of both people in order to get an idea as to why they are the way they are, and why they have so much chemistry together. The best part of this movie is the chemistry Allen and Keaton have. When they are together, you can sense the love and care thy have for each other. Both performances were excellent; they truly were the ones carrying the film. Everyone else in the film really carried no weight and are totally forgettable characters, besides Christopher Walken's character, which shared a very funny moment with Woody Allen.
Annie Hall denies the fact that there is a fourth wall, as the film has the main character talking to the audience. This is not the only bizarre element of the film. The movie has many things that prior to being released, had not been witnessed before, which included the thoughts of two people talking to each other as they engaged in conversation, also has tons of flashbacks and moments in which the main characters interact with their past counterparts. All these little unique moments throughout the movie make this movie very fresh, very different from the average romantic comedy. While these little things do enhance the experience a little, it fails to save the movie from at times being a bit boring or a bit tedious. There is just way too much time in between laughs.
The humor is at times a bit dry, which could be another reason why it appealed to so many but did not appeal much to me. I personally thought Napoleon Dynamite was the worst comedy within the past three decades. Annie Hall is no Napoleon Dynamite mind you, but it still lacks that edge that the better romantic comedies contain, comedies like The 40-year-Old Virgin, When Harry Met Sally, Pretty Woman, and There's Something About Mary.
Bottom Line: Annie Hall is not worthy of having that Best Picture Oscar; it should have gone to Star Wars for sure. I have never found Woody Allen that funny, and I did not really see what was the big deal about this film. It is just an average, mediocre love story told in a very unique way. While paving the way for interesting movie making from Robert Rodriguez, Quinten Tarantino, and others, Annie Hall is an experimental film that appeals to some, while failing to appeal to others. This is not the romantic comedy classic that everyone makes it out to be. Annie Hall: superb performances barred by many slow and dull moments and boring situations, not a classic in my standards.
Score: 4/10