#25: Woody Allen

- "I don't want to achieve immortality through my work… I want to achieve it through not dying."

The thought of trying to make it through Woody’s entire filmography before starting this project was nearly enough to call the whole thing off. It would be a virtual impossibility, unless I watched absolutely nothing from anyone but Woody and thus had gaping holes in the lists for many other directors. At the same time, leaving Woody out of such a list would be a total lie on my part – there is little doubt that he ranks among my twenty-five favorite directors. So, with that in mind, I tried to pick and choose as best I could, getting to as many of his films that I had not seen in such a short span of time. His work rate over the last few years makes things infinitely more difficult, as even at 75 years of age, the man still manages to crank out a film every year. Even if they are not of the high quality of his best work, you have to admire the dedication. Anyone willing to do that kind of work after accomplishing as much as Allen has must truly love what he is doing.

It is kind of easy to take potshots at Woody now, considering that his indefatigable work rate has resulted in a number of bad films and that the salacious details of his personal life are now the punch lines to jokes that he would have been making in his prime. While I personally think that his production in the 2000s has been better than it is generally regarded, that wouldn’t be the defense that I would offer when arguing why the man is an all-time great. The 1980s, for me, are far and away my favorite period of Allen filmmaking, as I think his run with Mia Farrow in that decade eclipses even his great collaborations with Diane Keaton. There is much personal preference in that statement, I know, but I don’t hesitate in making such a claim - his 70s output is great as well. More specifically, though, what separates Woody from so many of his contemporaries is his versatility. Fans of his work recognize it quite often, but to the general movie fan at large, a perception still persists that Allen is little more than a comic. Comedy is certainly incorporated in some form into all of his films, but his body of work is incredibly diverse. In the 1980s, specifically, you get to see nearly every facet of immense talent – the satirical side in Stardust Memories; the farcical mockumentary Zelig; the traditional Allen-type film in Broadway Danny Rose; the nostalgia of The Purple Rose of Cairo and Radio Days; the romantic comedy of Hannah and Her Sisters; the serious drama of Crimes and Misdemeanors. Going further back than the 80s, you see even greater versatility in the physical comedy of films like Bananas. There may be unifying themes and elements in each of these films, but to argue that they are all alike is ludicrous.

As for the assertion that Allen always plays himself in his movies, or at the very least is playing the same persona, I can’t necessarily argue. His characters do tend to mirror each other. I would counter in saying that many a great Hollywood star put together amazing careers playing similar characters (John Wayne, Jimmy Cagney), but even that claim is almost unnecessary. I would never argue that Allen is the same kind of acting talent as Wayne or Cagney - he most definitely does not. The thing is, though, he doesn’t need to be. His strengths lie in his direction and his writing. The writing in particular is second-to-none. His acting is not needed to carry one of his films. What should never be overlooked is how good he is at handling a lot of talented actors and using his script to have them play off of each other. For me, Hannah and Her Sisters is the prime example of this.

So here is a Woody Allen list that, unfortunately, comes nowhere near covering his entire filmography. Even still, there are a lot of great films listed here.

1. Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
2. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
3. Annie Hall (1977)
4. Radio Days (1987)
5. Zelig (1983)
6. Manhattan (1979)
7. Broadway Danny Rose (1984)
8. Love and Death (1975)
9. Sleeper (1973)
10. Match Point (2005)
11. Husbands and Wives (1992)
12. Bullets Over Broadway (1994)
13. Interiors (1978)
14. Deconstructing Harry (1997)
15. Stardust Memories (1980)
16. Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
17. Cassandra’s Dream (2007)
18. Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993)
19. The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
20. Scoop (2006)
21. Melinda and Melinda (2004)
22. Bananas (1971)
23. The Curse of the Jade Scorpion (2001)

And still so many to see!

Next up is a true icon and, according to many here at Goodfellas, the man who should properly be called the hardest-working American senior citizen in cinema: Clint Eastwood.

1986: Hannah and Her Sisters (Woody Allen)

Released: February 7, 1986

Director: Woody Allen; Screenplay: Woody Allen; Cinematography: Carlo Di Palma; Studio: Orion Pictures Corporation; Producer: Robert Greenhut

Cast: Mia Farrow (Hannah), Barbara Hershey (Lee), Dianne Wiest (Holly), Michael Caine (Elliot), Woody Allen (Mickey Sachs), Carrie Fisher (April), Maureen O’Sullivan (Norma), Lloyd Nolan (Evan), Max von Sydow (Frederick)

- "The only thing that might've stopped me - might've - is that my parents would be devastated. I would have to shoot them also, first. And then I have an aunt and uncle, you know, it would've been a blood bath."

As rightly praised as his hits of the 70s are (and Annie Hall was already included in this countdown), my favorite era of Woody Allen films is actually his run in the 1980s. From about 1983’s Zelig until Crimes and Misdemeanors to close the decade, I don’t think that there was a finer American director. Sure, some of the films are better than others – September is far from a classic – but all of them are worth seeing and in some instances the Woodman not only hit it over the fence, but completely out of the park. Hannah and Her Sisters is one of those instances. More drama than straight out comedy, strong cases can be made for it being the “best” of Woody Allen’s work – his best writing, his best personal performance, and possibly even his best movie.

I don’t know if I’m ready to make such authoritative declarations, but at the very least this one ranks near the top of each category. This is a movie that has a different feel than others in Woody’s body of work. As Roger Ebert described it in his glowing review (in which he openly declares it Woody’s best film), the story is “organized like an episodic novel.” This is a most fitting description, one that is perfectly in line with my own understanding of the film, where each “chapter” is introduced by some type of title or heading. Looking at it in its individual segments, it actually does play like a number of individual scenes, ones that could almost stand alone as shorts. The brilliance of Allen’s writing is the ability to take these individual episodes and interweave each storyline together and propel them all toward mutual conclusions.


The story is told over a year-long period, running from one Thanksgiving dinner to the next. The main storylines that are covered are those of three sisters: Hannah, Lee and Holly. Hannah (Mia Farrow) is the centerpiece of the entire film, serving as the anchor for both the story and her interesting family. Hannah is an ex-stage actress who is married to Elliot (Michael Caine), a successful accountant who has become infatuated with Hannah’s sister Lee. Lee (Barbara Hershey), meanwhile, is involved in a relationship with a much older artist (Max von Sydow) who operates as something of a svnegali in attempting to control the previously-dysfunctional life of Lee. When Elliot finally gets the courage to pursue Lee, he at first is rebuffed. Quickly though, Lee accepts Elliot’s advances and the two begin to carry on a secret affair. Holly (Diane Wiest), the third sister, is a struggling actress who is now trying to get a catering business off the ground. Having battled issues with cocaine in the past, she constantly turns to Hannah for strength and financial support.

These three main storylines essentially play like straight drama, touched here and there with moments of humor. The true comic relief of the story comes from the travails of Hannah’s ex-husband Mickey (Woody Allen). Although he is a successful television producer, Mickey is constantly miserable due to his extreme hypochondria. His usual routine of visiting doctors for imagined sicknesses is suddenly disrupted when one of his fictitious ailments might actually be true. Suddenly certain that he has cancer, Mickey begins to question his life even more and reminisce about past relationship experiences. Thus in flashbacks we are treated to hilarious episodes from his past, such as a first date with the cocaine-hungry Holly and the scrambling by he and ex-wife Hannah to figure out how to conceive a child.


The impressive thing remains how adept Woody is at managing the various subplots. To prove how skillful he is at this, just try and pick out what you think is the most important story arc or who you believe to be the main character. A number of different answers are plausible. Perhaps it is Hannah, seemingly the rock of everything. Maybe it’s Elliot, who is the spur that kicks all of the plots into action. I even think a case can be made for Mickey, who seems to be Woody’s personal voice, as his tale provides much of the philosophical thoughts and musings that are seen in all of Allen’s films. What all this is meant to show is that Woody’s writing has the unique ability to juggle these different storylines and do so in a manner that makes each one feel like the most important part of the movie. Fortunately he also has the ensemble cast that is up to such a challenge. Two of his stock players are outstanding as usual and many have claimed that this is Farrow’s finest performance in an Allen film. Diane Wiest was honored with an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress and hers truly is an outstanding performance, one that is a wonderful mix of drama and comedy. Michael Caine also won an Oscar, for Best Support Actor, and he is wonderfully sleazy. He is another character that you just want to hate, but you quickly realize how good Caine’s performance is and that it has to be appreciated.

I won’t spoil the ending for anyone who might not have seen it (if you haven’t you should so ASAP!), but I still am always struck by how this one ends on a more upbeat note than many other Woody films. Not that his other movies are exactly downers, but Hannah seems to tidy up nicely for all involved, with minimal collateral damage in the process. And yet rather than feeling forced or overly-schmaltzy, it feels just right.

Rating: 9/10

Other Contenders for 1986: A very solid year in 1986, with some movies that are critically-acclaimed and others that are personal favorites of mine. I have a unique relationship with the films of Oliver Stone, who released two in 1986. Those that I like, I really like, which is the case with his Best Picture winner Platoon. I think it's outstanding. Others, I just don't care for, which is the case with Salvador. This feels like an early attempt by Stone to make the politically-charged films he would become known for, but he's not yet mastered it. I also have always loved Rob Reiner's Stand By Me. This one can be divisive, as I know many folks who detest it, but I have always enjoyed it. And while I did not initially like David Lynch's Blue Velvet, I've appreciated it more and more each time I watch it. I still don't think it's Lynch at his best (in my opinion that comes later), but I know that the majority opinion is that this is the finest film he has ever made and one of the best of the last 20+ years.

I also have to admit not having seen Jean de Florette, which I really want to. I had ordered it from Amazon during a sale, but it was back-ordered, so I got frustrated and canceled the order!

1977: Annie Hall (Woody Allen)

Released: April 20, 1977

Director: Woody Allen; Screenplay: Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman; Cinematography: Gordon Willis; Studio: United Artists; Producers: Charles H. Joffe and Jack Rollins

Cast: Woody Allen (Alvy Singer), Diane Keaton (Annie Hall), Tony Roberts (Rob), Carol Kane (Allison), Paul Simon (Tony Lacey), Shelley Duvall (Pam), Janet Margolin (Robin), Christopher Walken (Duane Hall)

- "I don't want to move to a city where the only cultural advantage is being able to make a right turn on a red light."

I’ve always liked Woody Allen, but until I started going through a rough outline of selections for this countdown, I didn’t realize just how profound an impact a large number of his films have had on me. It was driven home to me by the fact that this 1977 Best Picture recipient, which many consider to be his finest achievement, could potentially not even be among my three or four favorites that he ever directed. I say “could potentially” because ranking favorite Woody films is a futile exercise for me, and one that has me constantly second-guessing and contradicting myself. For a man that has been so prolific, it is amazing how high quality his work has been – even his lesser efforts have aspects to be appreciated. Certainly not all of his films are masterpieces, but all of them can be enjoyed on some level.

I have to admit that I wavered somewhat on this pick. After completing the aforementioned rough outline, I thought to myself – “Can I actually have four Woody Allen movies in this countdown? Even I didn’t know I liked him that much…” Since doing more viewing and re-visiting of films, I’ll go ahead and give a preview in admitting that there likely will not be four movies from the Woodman in the countdown, but it still shows high highly I regard him at his best. The writing is just irresistible to me, the dry humor and sarcastic observations fitting perfectly with my own sense of humor.


In my own assessment, Allen certainly made other films that were more visually impressive (Manhattan) or that were flat-out more philosophically complex (Crimes and Misdemeanors), but I contend that he never wrote a screenplay wittier than that of Annie Hall. The story follows the prototypical Woody Allen character, Alvy Singer, as he wanders through his life in search of a lasting romantic relationship. Alvy is a comedian who possesses significant neuroses – he is obsessed with such macabre things as dying and the Holocaust, and is convinced that nearly everyone who is not Jewish is anti-Semitic. Although he has already had two failed marriages, he almost immediately falls for Annie (Diane Keaton). The relationship between them follows a path similar to the rollercoaster that Alvy grew up under, with Annie’s insecurities constantly coming into conflict with Alvy’s paranoia.

Rather than simply tell the story of the relationship with Annie, the movie also creatively uses flashbacks to explain Alvy’s history with other women. We are shown how he came to meet his two ex-wives and the way that those relationships quickly deteriorated. The flashbacks are actually used quite unconventionally, with characters being able to be on-screen with their past selves and to converse with other random characters that suddenly appear in the frame. Without strong writing, such situations would come across as hokey, but Woody is skillful enough to ensure that viewers are laughing at what is taking place, thus deflecting any negative attention toward this breaking of conventions. He also manages to utilize things like cartoon animation and split-screens into the movie, but they are not as obtrusive as one would expect, and actually work quite well.

The flashbacks themselves are some of the most entertaining parts for me, as they are like a roadmap of Alvy’s life, weaving him through various periods of 20th century culture. We see him meet his first wife at a rally for Adlai Stevenson. He subsequently marries Allison (Carol Kane), but soon is unable to concentrate even on making love with her because he has become so preoccupied with the findings of the Warren Commission. His analysis of their findings, and his reasoning for why he believes that Lee Harvey Oswald could not have been the lone gunman, is a great comedy routine. It is hilarious as he begins to lump in anyone and everyone into the conspiracy, with Allison patronizingly playing along. It is one of my favorite scenes in the film, but it is just one of many individual sequences that sparkle throughout. In fact, the entire movie does feel a bit episodic, but is never disjointed to the point of feeling rambling. Woody’s writing ties everything together snugly.


The chemistry between Allen and Keaton is what makes the “romantic” aspect of this so-labeled romantic comedy work. As good as they would be together two years later in Manhattan, to me this is their best performance working opposite each other. Whereas the coming together of their characters in Manhattan felt a bit manufactured to me, here it feels very natural. It feels very much like Woody has simply placed a camera in a room and given the audience a peak into the lives of two very neurotic personalities. Alvy and Annie are two people who have anxieties that expose themselves to the type of relationship that they find themselves in.

My favorite and most quotable lines are too numerous to repeat, so I’ll avoid that exercise (although I do have to admit that it would be fun to try and list my favorites!). I’ll just reinforce the fact that it is ultimately Woody’s screenplay that makes this such a great movie. The writing manages to cover everything from relationships, to the drug culture of the 70s, to those moving to Hollywood with big dreams, and so much more, and do so effortlessly. This movie would kick off an unbelievable streak of creativity and while it might not necessarily be my favorite of his films, it is one that is in regular rotation and that never ceases to be funny.

Rating: 9/10

Other Contenders for 1977: Not a lot of great movies for me in 1977, but a number of films that I definitely like. I very nearly chose Robert Altman's 3 Women, an interesting entry in Altman's filmography. It is very similar to Persona, but not quite at the same level. The other close contender comes from the first female to enter the countdown, with the Soviet director Larisa Shepitko's The Ascent. It's a harrowing story of Soviet partisans resisting the Nazi invasion and is one that is not easily forgotten.

That is the extent of serious contenders for me in this year. Other films worth mentioning for me are: Killer of Sheep (Charles Burnett), Soldier of Orange (Paul Verhoeven) and, yes for the entertainment value, I'll throw in Star Wars (George Lucas).

Crimes and Misdemeanors (Woody Allen, 1989)

My relationship with Woody Allen films has always been somewhat subdued. In the past I always tended to like every movie that I saw, but never quite seemed to love any of them. None of them ever quite reached the status of greatness that I hoped or expected of them. I’ve always had an appreciation for legendary films like Annie Hall, Manhattan, and Hannah and Her Sisters, but for some reason was always left with an unfulfilled feeling at the end of each of them. All of this changed upon seeing Crimes and Misdemeanors. It was a revelation. It made me understand that the sum of Woody Allen’s career in cinema was far greater than his riffing on variations of the same character and themes in each of his films. Here, he was able to tackle the same existential ideas that permeate many of his other efforts, but do so in a way that is equal parts tragedy and comedy.

The story is told through two separate storylines, but both concern strained relationships between two men and their respective wives. In the “serious” storyline, renowned ophthalmologist Judah Rosenthal (Martin Landau) scrambles to find a way to keep his young mistress (Anjelica Houston) from exposing their affair to his longtime wife. Ultimately, he reaches the conclusion that his only way out is to have her eliminated and he turns to his connected, streetwise brother (Jerry Orbach) to see that the job is done. In the “comedy” storyline, struggling documentary filmmaker Cliff Stern (Woody Allen) is also in a crumbling marriage. After being coaxed into directing a biography about the life of his Emmy award-winning television producer brother-in-law (Alan Alda), Cliff begins to fall in love with a producer also on the job (played by Mia Farrow). The two tales are interwoven seamlessly, with the narrative jumping between one storyline to the other.

This is another instance where I don’t want to give away too many details as to how things play out, because a lot of the emotional impact of the film comes from experiencing and trying to cope with the anguish as Judah himself does. The flashback scene of Judah remembering the discussions at his family dinner table, with arguments between family members over whether the eyes of God see everything that a person does, is crucial to the entire film. It crystallizes the issues that are haunting Judah and make him wonder if he can ever truly break free from the past relationship. Is the fact that one is not actually caught for a transgression proof that they come away from it unscathed? Or are there other ways, particularly personal and internal, that in due course see that punishment is exacted? Judah struggles with these weighty questions until the very end and the viewer is exposed to the same uncertainty and uneasiness.

The thing that amazes me about this movie is the fact that it works brilliantly on two completely different levels. It is both a comedy and a neo-noir. I’ll admit that the story focusing on Judah and the inner turmoil he goes through in coming to terms with decisions that he has made is the angle that is the most intriguing for me. It’s interesting how his predicament is juxtaposed with the less grave dilemma of Cliff. Even though Cliff’s situation is much less ominous, he still agonizes over his problems with the same intensity with which Judah contemplates contract murder. When the two men finally come together and meet each other at the end of the film, it’s interesting to realize which of the two characters is actually in a better state.

As I’ve already mentioned, this tops my list of best Woody Allen films. But probably the biggest impact that this movie has had on me is that it encouraged me to go back and reexamine other Allen films and I’ve realized that I enjoy his work a lot more than I originally thought. I’m writing this review after having watched Crimes and Misdemeanors for a second time and it’s just as entertaining and thought provoking as the first.

Rating: 9/10