A valentine to unhappiness--and the need to be unhappy

Rating: 8/10 (25 September 2005)

Successful stand-up comic revisits his past after meeting and falling for a daffy Gentile. Woody Allen discovered a sort of unintentional hipness with this romantic comedy, fancifully filling out this story with surreal bits that fit snugly into the story-structure and never throw the narrative out of whack. If the film isn't as fresh today as it was in 1977, that's because we know more about Allen and his penchant for neuroses than we did then. Many of Allen's ideas have also been recycled since "Annie Hall" (oft-times by Woody himself) and so it feels occasionally like a rerun. Still, the after-effects of a big love affair are clearly heartfelt, and the nostalgia near the finale is expertly conveyed. Long after the jokes are played out, "Annie Hall" still rings true simply for the pathos, which Woody pretends to toss off with a sad little shrug but which really stand the test of time. *** from ****