Manhattan

FILM REVIEW : Manhattan (1979)

Note: This film was reviewed for the 1001 Movies Club

Although I haven't been too impressed with his efforts in the past, Woody Allen's 1979 film Manhattan is definitely something to behold.

The film revolves around Isaac Davis (Woody Allen), a television writer in Manhattan dealing with three women. The first is his ex-wife Jill (Meryl Streep) who is writing a book about their tumultuous marriage. Second is Mary (Diane Keaton), a woman who's been having an affair with Isaac's friend Yale. Lastly is Tracy (Mariel Hemingway, who received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role), a seventeen year old that Isaac is at the time dating.

Woody Allen is a quite fascinating director. He never strays too far from a general way of doing things, but each of his films is unique and distinct. Manhattan is no different. The unconventional choice of black-and-white cinematography brings a vintage quality to the film but at the same time modernizes it. It gives off a certain nostalgia and represents the film's timelessness. I also really enjoyed the use of "Someone to Watch Over Me." That was probably my favorite aspect of the film.

Allen's screenplay is pretty much your typical Woody: lots of relationships going on and plenty of dialogue that is funny but not laugh out loud funny. It sounds a bit bland and formulaic, but what makes it all work is the brilliance of the cast. Woody certainly knows how to pick great actors to star in his films.

First, let's talk about the man himself. He does the usual shtick with quirky mannerisms and dry humor. Oddly enough, this is the first time where I've seen it work for the better. Allen's antics usually annoy me, but in Manhattan he had me laughing. Diane Keaton has great chemistry with Allen (anyone who's seen Annie Hall  probably didn't me to tell them that) as the scatterbrained Mary. She has a lot of emotional scenes to work with, and she pulls it off perfectly. Lots of tension between those two that works perfectly. Mariel Hemingway's portrayal of the teenage Tracy is great as well. She plays off the vulnerability of the age with the utmost accuracy and precision. Even though her time on the screen is limited, she made enough of an impact to score an Academy Award nomination. Finally when concerning the performances, you have Meryl Streep. I saved the best for last. Even though she only has three brief scenes - and probably less than ten minutes of screen time - Streep completely dominates every second of every minute on camera as is her usual game.

I'm not sure I had any "problems" with the film, but Woody Allen films just don't do for me what they do for so many others. To many, he is a genius; to me, he's a smart and unique film director. I respect him for going against the grain and all, but he's just not my favorite. Still, Manhattan is worth checking out simply for the unique style and fantastic acting ensemble.

Recommended

Rating: 8.0 out of 10 stars

Julian Stark (pen name)<br />
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Founder/Editor: Movies and Other Things<br />
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http://julianstark-moviesandotherthings.blogspot.com

Manhattan

Once there was a middle aged named Woody Allen. In 1979 he made a great movie called "Manhattan." He wrote, directed, and starred in the aforementioned movie. He filmed the movie in black and white and on location in New York City. This director also surrounded himself with a exceptional cast including Diane Keaton and Meryl Streep. The plot surrounds Woody Allen as Isaac Davis. He's in his 40s and his girlfriend is not quite a legal adult. Yes, that is disgusting and repulsive and yet pretty typical of a Woody Allen movie...just bear with me though. It really is a great movie. He finds out he's not in love with the young girl...I'm sure multiple people in New York could have told him that was an awful idea. But I guess when your ex-wife played by Meryl Streep becomes a lesbian things get a bit crazy. Well anyways Isaac then starts falling for his best friend's mistress (Diane Keaton). The dialogue is great and the characters are dynamic and real. They are severely screwed up and have multitudes of problems that they need to work out. People aren't perfect...so why should movie characters be? The film is a great romantic comedy...or relational comedy...the whole romance thing gets kind of sketchy. The dialogue is smart and funny...something sadly missing from many, many romantic comedies out there. The cinematography and scenery is beautiful! The only thing better than New York City, is New York City in black and white. Woody Allen and the person actually handling the camera got some great shots that add so much to the overal plot and theme of the movie. And a little...actually a lot of George Gershwin music doesn't hurt. I'm not sure, I might like this better than "Annie Hall." Watch this and then watch "Whatever Works"...the second movie will completely depress you...Woody Allen is a much better director than that movie showed. See "Manhattan" though...and if you don't like it...don't even bother to explain it to me.

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