Woody Allen's "Manhattan"

Watched Manhattan on Thu at Film Forum, and was impressed by its moral penetration in the guise and instrument of comedy. After watching Match Point, and Hannah and Her Sisters, I did not understand the fuss over Allen. Watching Manhattan makes me want to watch Hannah again to see what I missed. Last night, browsing at Shakespeare and Company, invaded by the Potter fans waiting for the midnight launch of The Deathly Hallows, I came across a book of interviews given by Allen. He was not happy with Manhattan after finishing it; he was seldom happy with any of his pictures after finishing them. They did not turn out how he would have liked them. Still, unlike the procrastinating artists/writers in his films, he had sufficient integrity and determination to complete his projects, though they did not satisfy him.

Comments

Rob said…
Manhatten is one of my favourite Allen movies, and I am a big fan. Stardust Memories is quite different, but also excellent, and has one of the most memorable opening few minutes in cinema.

My other favourites are Husbands and Wives, and Crimes and Misdemeanours, but I like nearly everything.
6:41 PM
Preston said…
Matchpoint is a hopelessly flat recast of Crimes and Misdemeanors. It's as if Allen took the latter film, transported it to England, stripped all humor from it, and remolded the characters to be as unsympathetic as possible - that's Matchpoint in a nutshell. Crimes and Misdemeanors, however, is wonderful.
9:57 AM
Jee Leong said…
Thanks, guys, for chipping in. And the vote for the next Allen movie goes to "Crimes and Misdemeanors."
9:38 PM
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