Manhattan
1979 Directed by Woody Allen
Synopsis
Woody Allen's New Comedy Hit
A divorced New Yorker in his forties who is dating a high-school girl falls for the mistress of his best friend.
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Woody Allen and I still have a fractured relationship. I try and try and I thought I was starting to warm to the little New Yorker. Alas another luke-warm response to another apparent classic and I'm now wondering whether I'll ever see eye to eye with Mr Neurotic.
Can it really be possible to dislike every character in a film. None of this lot deserve any sympathy for the way they rail-road over each others feelings. Partner swapping,lies,deceit and another of Woody's neurotic,self-obsessed arsehole roles that he seems to relish,this has all Allen's hallmarks. And that's almost certainly the problem for me. Maybe it's because I'm not a New Yorker or even American,who knows,he just doesn't connect with me.
On… -
Director - Woody Allen
Writers - Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman
Cast - Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Mariel Hemingway, Michael Murphy, Meryl Streep, Anne Byrne and Karen LudwigHas there been a more perfect, though admittedly romanticised, portrayal of the World’s most famous city than the one Woody Allen offers us in Manhattan? I’m struggling to think of another film that utilises real locations to such amazing effect as Manhattan, especially one that does so in such an understated way. Manhattan is a naturally stunning city, with some great architecture and some truly awe-inspiring scenery, but there’s just something about the way Allen captures its peculiar little intricacies that make this one of the most beautiful films I’ve ever…
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This is my first Woody Allen film starring Woody Allen. It will probably be my last. If for some reason you want to sabotage a possibly decent film, use this insufferable asshole as your lead character.
The whole 'oblivious cynic' routine is built on the naive assumption that you are supposed to see this neurotic behaviour from a birds eye view and with a sense of a self irony, a sort of 'ha, he's an asshole, doing asshole things, hooray for self-deprecating humour!' But his complete lack of charisma allows his overbearing, self absorbed character to swallow away any positive personality traits, making him irredeemable and an utter nuisance. It doesn't work. It is nauseating listening to this pessimistic weasel…
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Now the questions begin: which is better, this or ANNIE HALL? I'm driving myself into a Woody Allen style neurosis contemplating it. On one hand, ANNIE HALL completely changed the landscape of American movies and really broke a lot of rules in such pitch perfect ways that even the most devoted formalists can't deny. MANHATTAN is much more classical and romantic but with that bite of New York reality and a true sense of the types of people in it that makes Allen's movies so definitive in understanding New York.
MANHATTAN is one of the most amazingly consistent films I've seen, especially from a cinematography standpoint. Its sense of composition and the dramatic flair of the black & white film sometimes…
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I've an odd relationship with Woody; I find him a tad annoying and every time I watch one of his films, I swear I have seen it all before. So it all went again yesterday as we fired this one up and that familiar annoyance washed over me. A very predictable film, but of course I could not help but get reeled into Woody's world and have some fun along the way.
I really disliked Diane Keaton's character, so any time she was on screen, I tuned out a bit, but there was enough from all of the other characters to keep me interested. The relationship between Woody and Mariel Hemingway was particularly engaging and I would have liked even more screen time for it.
Overall a decent watch, but not something I will rush to watch again any time soon.
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In the past five days, I've watched revered films by three great writer-directors: Wes Anderson (The Royal Tenenbaums), Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction), and now Woody Allen (Manhattan). For the life of me, I can't decide which of the three -- Anderson, Tarantino, or Allen -- craft the better stories or write the better dialogue, as they are all so different and yet so very good.
The charms of each of these men bleed through their scripts and onto the screen, and with results like these -- capped off this morning by my viewing of Allen's Manhattan -- it is hard to argue with those who say that writer-directors are the best filmmakers. Sad, comedic, and ultimately romantic, Manhattan is a film you simply must see, by a writer-director you simply must appreciate.
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I'm continuing to see some of Woody Allen's work.
Another interesting, smart and funny comedy/drama about relationships. Stunning black and white cinematography, New York looks so charming! -
I love this. I really need to see more from Woody Allen.
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Didn't make it all the way through. Seemed like a rehash of Annie Hall only with despicable characters that came off as annoying more than anything.
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"You have to have faith in people."
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My all-time favorite movie.
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The bad kind of Woody Allen movie
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Vacker och atmosfärrik. New York gör sig i svartvitt och till Gerschwin. Lite gubbsjukt ibland.
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Now I understand why people like Woody Allen. Saw at Cinespia.
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really phoned in