Annie Hall (1977) *****

Woody Allen seems to be an acquired taste and people fall into two camps: you either love the guy or you hate him.

The thing about Woody Allen's movies is that every one of them that I've seen are about relationships in one way or another. Annie Hall is the best of these in that it shows the history of the relationship between Alvy Singer (Allen) and Annie Hall (a perfect Diane Keaton) in a style that you can almost say that Tarantino stole for Reservoir Dogs (yes, I'm comparing Woody Allen to Quentin Tarantino slightly). Allen doesn't use a straight line in telling the story, however. You don't really know what to expect next other than that when you get to that point you'll understand what he's talking about because- Ta-Da!- we've all been there! Allen tells the story of a relationship in a way that people will understand and relate to while making it funny in an ironic sort of way. The great thing about it is that it's not some huge production piece. It mainly uses New York as its set piece, which I know is a totally new thing for a Woody Allen movie (irony). The funny thing is that as the film goes on it becomes a love/hate relationship between people and the city itself. Both lead characters represent two different coasts you might say.

Annie Hall was voted best picture in the 1977 Academy Awards, though we can't say much about that year because the only other film nominated that people will still remember or care about is Star Wars. Annie Hall is a film that represents that 1970's film making that I've addressed before except this time it's not the darkness and the violence, but it's not painted rose and blue skies either. Annie Hall is a film that's set in a normal reality with some over the top narratives. A great flick from Woody Allen