Saturday, July 18, 2009

Annie Hall

Love him or hate him, Woody Allen is an institution of the American cinema. His 1978 Academy Award winning film Annie Hall is among the most influential of all his works. This very simple film about a middle age New York comedian recounting the failure of his relationship with Annie Hall solidified the many now commonly used narrative device, most notably characters directly addressing the viewer mid-scene.

During the course of the movie we see its protagonist Alvy Singer, played by Woody Allen, exemplify the stereotypical neurotic New Yorker, who engages in continuous comical self-reflection and categorical summarizing of people he meets and sees. This narrative technique is one that would later be used extensively by the television hit Seinfeld.

At the end of the day, and after trying a number of times, Alvy and Annie could not make their relationship work no matter how much they loved each other. This is a powerful message that will always resonate with viewers that love is not enough to keep two people together. But the memories will always make for a wonderful story.

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