Annie Hall

It's hard to believe 33 years after the fact that Star Wars could have possibly lost out on the award for best picture of the year. After all, it's one of the most famous movies of all time and it completely changed the science-fiction genre and filmmaking in general. However, Annie Hall did indeed win the prestigious award that year largely due to its witty writing and endearing story, which spectacularly captures the era of the 1970s. I generally believe that most romantic comedies tend to be overly sappy and aren't really funny at all, but this one actually does come off as being humourous and entertaining.

Annie Hall involves the unlikely relationship between Alvy Singer and Annie Hall. Woody Allen plays Alvy Singer, a Jewish comedian who is constantly nervous and fumbling, states the obvious even when he shouldn't, and has an obsession with death while Diane Keaton plays the role of Annie Hall who is incredibly carefree and naive in her mannerisms. From the outset, the relationship between the two is shown to be rather tumultuous and uncomfortable as it falls apart on several occasions. Given how the two are essentially opposites of each other this is hardly surprising, but what intrigued me about the movie is how it generally focuses on the positive aspects of their relationship even though it's established near the beginning of the film that it ends poorly. The story shows that happiness can be found even in the strangest of scenarios as I can assure you the interactions between Allen and Keaton here are like few you've ever seen before. Their dialogue really takes the spotlight in this one as there are hardly any other performances of note in this movie as the whole film revolves around the blossoming and eventual implosion of their relationship. The outcome of the story is obvious since the movie begins with the end, but I really liked how it flashes back to the beginning point in their relationship so the audience can get perspective on everything that happened up until that point. I particularly enjoyed the specific scope this movie has as it focuses entirely on their relationship rather than extraneous factors, which is good because the short runtime of the movie didn't leave much room for exploration of anything else.

Annie Hall moves at a fast pace and it's pretty much over in the blink of an eye. With a runtime of only 90 minutes, there were two ways to go about making this movie: it could've skimmed the surface on several topics ultimately amounting to nothing, or it could go into a deeper examination of one particular idea. Fortunately, Allen devotes the whole film to exploring the peculiar and awkward romance so I do feel like it had a purpose and direction to it, yet I can't help but feel that if the movie were perhaps 30 minutes longer it could have been more meaningful. The movie ends so quickly that it feels like it was just a blur watching it, and perhaps that's what Allen was intending as he could've been trying to point out that not only are our relationships seemingly short, but the life in which they occur is also a blur and you can look back once in a while and wonder where all the years have gone. Annie Hall doesn't really leave any burning questions unanswered, but I still felt kind of empty after watching this movie since it seemed as though it could have further explored the breakdown in the relationship and the factors causing it as they weren't looked into much during the film.

One of the unique aspects of this movie is the way in which it captures the essence of an era. Annie Hall is really a snapshot of the 1970s as it captures the physical image from that period with characters who are dressed like people of the time, but more importantly it really showcases the individualistic spirit that was burgeoning at the time. Annie Hall herself is the perfect embodiment of the 1970s thought current as she hardly has a care in the world and feels a type of spiritual connection with the world that was common during that time. The movie's authenticity doesn't have the same effect on someone like me who didn't live during the time; however, it's still really interesting to get an idea of what it was like back then, and Annie Hall gives the era a gorgeous representation. The movie conveys this sense of a connection to the 1970s and is almost on par with Forrest Gump in being able to take snapshots of history and give them meaning within a fictional context. Annie Hall certainly doesn't have the same social impact today that it did over 30 years ago, but if you're looking for a movie that gives insight into the 1970s, I'd be hard pressed to think of another movie that really illuminates the time quite like this one does.

Annie Hall does a fantastic job of taking a unique love story and putting it into the context of the time in which it took place. You'll find that you make a connection with both Alvy and Annie as their wacky relationship takes several twists and turns that make for an entertaining experience. The movie is over in a flash, but it's authenticity and portrayal of an era give it staying power and make it larger than just the simple story upon which it revolves.