Manhattan (1979)
He was as tough and romantic as the city he loved…
Starring: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Michael Murphy, Mariel Hemingway, Meryl Streep, Anne Byrne Hoffman, Karen Ludwig, Michael O'DOnoghue, Victor Truro, Tisa Farrow, Helen Hanft, Bella Abzug, Gary Weis, Kenny Vance, Charles Levin, Wallace Shawn
Director: Woody Allen
Running Time: 96 minutes
US MPAA rating: N/AUK BBFC rating: 15
Comedy, Drama, Romance
On DVD If you're even vaguely-familiar with the sort of movies Woody Allen has continued to churn out on a near-annual basis since the end of the 60s, you won't find anything remotely surprising about 'Manhattan'. It's an above-average piece of work, in which Allen takes centre stage, and - again, no shocker here - plays a neurotic overly-analytical Jew who attracts the attentions of women far more attractive than himself and goes on to exchange various witticisms with them. Oh, and of course, it all takes place in New York, not just the centre of Allen's universe, but Allen's universe in its entirety.
He's the goggle-eyed Isaac Davis, a man who you can't help but feel is supposed to be taken as much more handsome and appealing than he actually is (again, it's not an unusual component for a Woody film). When we meet him he's dating Tracy (Mariel Hemingway), a 17-year-old schoolgirl who, strangely, appears to genuinely adore him. But it's not long before we switch love interests to Mary (Diane Keaton), a considerably more mature woman who's torn between Isaac and his bezzie mate Yale (Michael Murphy).
'Manhattan' is often considered the Woodster's finest hour-and-a-half, but great it ain't. There's lots of walking and talking, mumbling and stuttering, and general scrutiny of many an overblown triviality (yup, more Allen staples) - but, while at times mildly humorous, it's not a nice film to get involved in. Although it doesn't follow the turgid formula fallen back on by so many of today's rom-coms, Isaac isn't a character I ever wanted to relate to. By the time the film's over he's gone from a bit self-engrossed to outright selfish, his intentions never seem motivated by any sort of decency, and none of his romances are particularly convincing.
In fact, the best two things about the movie are the parts not even credited to Allen - George Gershwin's music and Gordon Willis' cinematography. But, with half an hour to go, I'd already had enough of it.
DVD Extras: A trailer, and that's your lot.
It's Got: A totally unnecessary '15' certificate - by today's standards it's all pretty tame.
It Needs: To be watched on a wide-screen TV - otherwise the at-times peculiar framing is likely to cause problems.
Alternatives: Annie Hall
Summary: Beautifully shot, musically marvellous, and nowhere near as good as it's often made out to be.
Review by Gary Panton
External Links
Manhattan at the IMDB
Comments1 Comment |
| I personally love this film but Mariel Hemingway's simpering voice gets a bit too much after a while. Still, it's a wonderful film and certainly worth seeing and a whole lot better than the disappointment that was Annie Hall and lovingly shot in B/W too, which just adds to the general ambience. The soundtrack (as always) is magnificent and evocative. Woody Allen has rarely been better than he is here. Highly recommended. |
| Comment by:- Mitchell | | 08 October 2004 | ip: logged |
