Manhattan

Rating:
Summary: Simply indescribable
Review: Spellbinding, vivid, dreamy, delectable, and just plain heartbreaking. What can I say about 'Manhattan' that hasn't already been said? I think I'm only one of the few seventeen-year-old girls on the planet that really likes Woody Allen. He is a wonderful director and actor. 'Manhattan' is plain, simple proof of that. It is indescribable. I think I'm in love with this film. I can really identify with almost all the actresses and actors, including Mariel Hemingway's character, Tracy. Being the same age as she is, I can see myself in her. I really love her strength and maturity. She's the only one that makes sense and thinks things through in the movie- the others, such as Diane Keaton's character, Mary, Michael Murphy's Yale, and Woody Allen's Issac, they all just run around blurting out unintentional things. But they really add to the effect of the movie. This movie is so wonderful on many levels. Humor, optimism, pessimism, romance, betrayal, and innocence. I just LOVE the lines Keaton, Hemingway and Allen deliver! Two very memorable lines: "I wanted to throw you down on the lunar surface and commit interstellar perversion with you." and "You just got to have a little faith in people". This especially strikes your emotional chords, and the way Hemingway says it. This is a classic love triangle, with the main character dumping his seventeen-year old girlfriend, and realizing he wants her back. Some people might find 'Manhattan' plain sick, because of the relationship between a 42-year-old man and a 17-year-old girl, but that wasn't annoying at all to me. Meryl Streep as Jill was rewarding. I'm still laughing at the details she portrayed in her book about Issac, and how Issac denies that he tried to run over Jill and her girlfriend when he first found out that they were lovers. Keaton is wonderful. Of course, she is in all of her movies. I found her character amusing, although I was shocked at first when she decided to go back to Yale instead of staying with Issac, but when I thought about it, I realized that both Mary and Issac are both two neurotic individuals who enjoy each other at first, but after a while, their neurotism just interfere. And their first lovers, Yale and Tracy, are stable people. So, going back to their original lovers was really the right thing to do. But when they were together, they were simply wonderful. I really enjoyed the lines they threw at each other. I also love the first kiss! It's simply impossible to describe how they dredged up particular emotions. 'Manhattan' is magical. It's impossible to not appreciate its aesthetic qualities. I especially love the last scene. It combines nostalgia and finality. I love when Tracy says "You just got to have a little faith in people," and Issac looks at her and this wistful, faint smile floats across his lips. It's impossible to explain what emotions 'Manhattan' delivers!

I think I'll wear out my DVD version ogling this movie over and over. DON'T MISS IT!! I EMPHASIZE~ DON'T MISS IT!

Rating:
Summary: Luminous and wonderful!
Review: It makes me sad (not to mention angry) that some people make the statement that this movie is about "a child molestor." The same people who say this are the ones that praise "There's Something About Mary" and "American Pie" for it's "comic innovativeness." This is NOT a documentary, it is simply a situation, and Tracy (the girl) was not forced into her position as girlfriend--it is a choice. Let's not forget this was the 70s, and while that's not an excuse, shame on those who imply that this beautiful movie is simply about a man and an underage girl.

That said, this is one of the most gorgeous movies ever made. Although "Hannah and Her Sisters" is probably my favorite Woody Allen movies, this is Allen's cinematic masterpiece. Words can't describe how beautiful the lights of Manhattan look as they sparkle through the trees in Central Park. But the acting shines as well. Diane Keaton is both hilarious and sad as a neurotic woman who is so full of herself and yet so unlucky in love; Woody Allen plays a divorced, neurotic man (shocker. . .); and while Mariel Hemingway isn't terrible, the tone of her voice and her manner did grate on my nerves a little. . .but that didn't ruin the movie at all. She is the voice of reason not only to Issac (Allen's character) but for the entire film.

It's a true testament to the genius of Allen that his movies, which usually end so sad, can still fill you with hope. It's as if he's telling the audience that it's the journey, not the destination, that's important. Everything about "Manhattan" shines, even after more than 20 years. I highly suggest this movie to anyone who hasn't seen it.

Rating:
Summary: Matchless Entertainment!
Review: I've read some great reviews on this film and agree with the ones that states that this is one of Woody's best.As much as I like to notice the artistic endeavors a film maker puts into his/her movies, the key to me is does it pull me into the story? Does it move me in some way? This movie definitely does so. I became enthralled with how petty the adults were and how the innocence of youth packed the biggest wallop of wisdom. Allen seems to want to show that our preconceived notions of "older and wiser" is not always a truism. Of course he also shares a load of laughs with his witty writing as he does in most of his movies. I too was blown away by the cinematography and use of music to convey the emotional content of the movie. As an artist he always tries to be true to himself and sometimes he hits and sometimes he misses, but in this film he knocked one out of the park in the ninth inning with 2 out and the count at 3 and 2 and the bases loaded.

Rating:
Summary: I'll Take Manhattan
Review: Easily of of the best American films of all time, Allen examines relationships and life in this funny/bittersweet story set with NYC as the backdrop. Beautiful CinemaScope photography, Woody's typical neurotic cast of characters, Gershwin score, excellent acting, all come together despite Sandy Morse's non-editing talents. This was the Woody I loved... Mr. Annie Hall, now unfortunately, a man that has literally become a characature of himself. Too bad for us... What happened to you Woody?

Diane Keaton, Michael Murphy, Meryl Streep, Wally Shawn, and (especially) Mariel Hemmingway seemlessly float around Allen's chatracter flawlessly, as the film surges towards a realistic but sad end as Allen and 17 year old Hemmingway part. Funny how life imitates art (as Woody is now married literally to Rosemary's Baby).

Despite my hostility (as Allen would say), don't miss this film. It's everything that Manhattan is, and more.

PS - if you ever have a chance to see it on a big screen, do so...!

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant
Review: The first 5 minutes of MANHATTAN--Gershwin over NYC snapshots--is some of the most gorgeous cinema you'll ever see. The fact that it's black and white doesn't take away from that beauty; in Woody Allen's hands, B&W actually adds to the beauty.

Allen displays New York at its cosmopolitan height, even as the city was crumbling around him. He glories in its aging beauty, its earthy, crusty patina, its diversity and the grandeur of Manhattan and its people. Those short-sighted reviewers who choose to grade the movie based on their opinion of Allen's personal life--which they have gleened from the pages of the Weekly World News and Parade magazine--are not only missing the point of this film, they are flying in the face of the compassion and love of humanity which it evokes.

Of course, that may be the way Allen would handle it if the situation were reversed. He is the personification of the old line--is it from Socrates or vaudeville?--"I love humanity; it's people I can't stand."

The story isn't as approachable as Annie Hall, and the characters aren't as warm, but MANHATTAN is still Allen at his creative peak. New York has never looked better.

Rating:
Summary: ...Old-Fashioned and New-Fangled
Review: Schmuck!
This is the movie you wanted to buy back from the studio?
It doesn't really matter, and maybe that's why it makes such a noticible difference: "Annie Hall" was the first of an apparantly unconcious trilogy where Woody Allen, acting as a writer/director/actor ("Star Wa- oops!- DUST Memories" is the third: "Interiors" came out around the same time but is a very different non-animal and doesn't count) acceded -- in very different stages of reluctance -- his own attractiveness, brilliance and success in all realms of life.
But in "Manhattan," Allen dumps his editor?collaborator? Ralph Rosenblum and takes control in collaboration with maverick non-union non-recognized cinematographer Gordon Willis to make a very different film. Allen allows that the concept was to make a film in real wide-screen (aka "anamorphic") set in New York.
Schmuck.
Unlike "Annie," this film is non-improvisational and supremely more stylish; and being filmed in widescreen black & white is by no means the greatest of the differences.
Meaner than "Annie's" breaking-the-fourth-wall snottiness, "Manhattan" honed a contempt for the delusional and self-hating inhabitants of its namesake into a screed in which even the judgemental character Allen plays (who lectures everyone -- especially himself) is scalded for having no business enjoying the magnificent vistas they cluelessly scamper through with as much appreciation as a yeti in the Serengheti.
Sorry. Great film, gorgeous cinematography (the first 10 min. are worth the price of the DVD alone), acting you won't even notice, it's so good, probably the best of any 10 films of the last 25 years, regardless of your opinion of Allen's life or personal crap.

Rating:
Summary: A valentine for the Big Apple
Review: Manhattan is Woody Allen's most ambitious and most fully realized picture. Filmed in beautiful black and white and full of laughs. A romantic, sentimental, witty gorgeous portrait of New York City and the people it inhabits. Allen gives his most charming performance as Issac Davis, a forty some year old television writer who quits and focuses on a book he can not finish and is involved in a tryst with a teenage girl (played spectacularly by Hemingway and giving the film's best performance). He breaks it off with her, for her own good or so he says, and chases Mary (Keaton) a confused, elegant women who his best friend is having an affair with. With his wife writing a autobiography of their relationship and his temporary at best relationship with Mary failing he looks to what really matters to him and hopes that he hasn't lost all that was true. He finds the biggest lesson to learn is to "have faith in people."

Rating:
Summary: "New York Was His Town And It Always Would Be!"
Review: Woody Allen's "Mahattan" is one of the all-time great American films of the past century. It's one of Allen's best and most respected films. And I feel it has that "classic" Woody Allen persona. The wise-cracks, the views of New York, and his ideas on love.

It's hard for me to pin point the "main" story-line concerning the film. To some I suppose it's about a relationship dealing with Isaac Davis (Allen) and a 17 year old Tracy (Mariel Hemingway, in an Oscar nominated performance). Others still my say it's about Yale (Michael Murphy) cheating on his wife, Emily (Anne Byrne) with Mary (Diane Keaton). Or, perhaps you feel it's the story of Isaac and Mary falling in love. And if that doesn't do it for you, we also have the story concerning Isaac and his ex wife, Jill (Meryl Streep), who left him for another woman and has now written a "tell all" book about their marriage. So what is "Manhattan" about? I guess it's about all of these things. It's about people living in the "Big Apple" finding and losing love. Coming to term with themselves and realizing who they are. For example, Isaac comes to realize that he really let the one girl who he loved slip away. Yale and Mary come to realize they really are in love. And Tracy goes from being a young girl to a woman, and probably the most level-headed character in the movie.

"Mahattan" is one of those movies that whenever it's on tv I have to watch it, despite the fact that I own the movie. But, I just can't resist it. Whenever I go to New York, I have to watch this before I leave. It just puts me in the mood to go. And as soon as I come back I have to watch it again, because I miss it.

If you weren't able to tell before Woody Allen loves New York and what a perfect valentine for the greatest city in the world he made. The cinematography by Gordin Willis is beautiful. It has to rank among the best of his films. It's a shame he didn't win or even get nominated for an Oscar. He really shows the city in all it's beauty. The use of Gershwin music adds to the film's more romantic moments. Think of the scene where Allen and Keaton are walking through the street and "Someone To Watch Over Me" plays as they sit under the bridge. You just can't beat that moment! What about the end of the movie when "But Not For Me" is playing and we're unsure if the two lovers will get together in the end?

For those who have never watched a Woody Allen, this is a great place to start. I think of this movie as the "sister" of "Annie Hall". Two of the most charming romantic comedies of all-time. I really love this movie and I'm glad to see so many others do as well. I hope people who come to watch this in the future will appreciate it as much as I do.

Bottom-line: One of Woody Allen's best films. Made durning a time most people feel Allen was at his peek, the 70's. One of the best romantic comedies of all time!

Rating:
Summary: ...Old-Fashioned and New-Fangled
Review: Schmuck!
This is the movie you wanted to buy back from the studio?
It doesn't really matter, and maybe that's why it makes such a noticible difference: "Annie Hall" was the first of an apparantly unconcious trilogy where Woody Allen, acting as a writer/director/actor ("Star Wa- oops!- DUST Memories" is the third: "Interiors" came out around the same time but is a very different non-animal and doesn't count) acceded -- in very different stages of reluctance -- his own attractiveness, brilliance and success in all realms of life.
But in "Manhattan," Allen dumps his editor?collaborator? Ralph Rosenblum and takes control in collaboration with maverick non-union non-recognized cinematographer Gordon Willis to make a very different film. Allen allows that the concept was to make a film in real wide-screen (aka "anamorphic") set in New York.
Schmuck.
Unlike "Annie," this film is non-improvisational and supremely more stylish; and being filmed in widescreen black & white is by no means the greatest of the differences.
Meaner than "Annie's" breaking-the-fourth-wall snottiness, "Manhattan" honed a contempt for the delusional and self-hating inhabitants of its namesake into a screed in which even the judgemental character Allen plays (who lectures everyone -- especially himself) is scalded for having no business enjoying the magnificent vistas they cluelessly scamper through with as much appreciation as a yeti in the Serengheti.
Sorry. Great film, gorgeous cinematography (the first 10 min. are worth the price of the DVD alone), acting you won't even notice, it's so good, probably the best of any 10 films of the last 25 years, regardless of your opinion of Allen's life or personal crap.

Rating:
Summary: A brilliant character study!
Review: There's a scene in this film where Woody Allen is lying on his couch, lethargic and immensely depressed. He's talking into a tape recorder, and he says something along the lines of, "I'm thinking about writing a short story about people in Manhattan who are constantly creating these real, unnecessary, neurotic problems for themselves, because it keeps them from dealing with more unsolvable, terrifying problems about the universe." What an interesting issue he's preparing to approach in his latest work of art. And purposefully (for obvious reasons), that quote sums up the entire film.

Manhattan surrounds the lives of Isaac (Woody Allen), his ex-wife Jill (Meryl Streep), his best friend Yale (Michael Murphy), his seventeen-year-old girlfriend Tracy (the Oscar-nominated Marial Hemmingway), Yale's wife (Anne Byrne Hoffman), and, of course, Yale's mistress Mary (the wonderful Diane Keaton). One day, Isaac and Tracy are on a date and they come across Yale spending the day with Mary. And that's what starts it all. At first Isaac despises Mary's overbearing, free personality. But eventually he runs into her again and he gives her a chance, walking home with her after a gala. And the two become great friends, leading to something more, causing an entire love triangle to form, affecting every character in the film in different ways. But of course, that's not all there is to it.

The love triangle between Mary, Isaac and Yale is a vehicle for studying the behavioral habits of Isaac, the film's main focus. He is an intensely neurotic man who, like he says at one point in the film, fixates on smaller problems in order to rid his mind of the larger ones he is afraid to face. But as the love triangle progresses, falls apart, nearly comes back together, then falls apart again, he transforms into another man at the end. And the way Woody Allen carefully (and in a very clever way) tells the tale and explains the change is so utterly original and touching that it will leave you breathless.

That is, of course, the high point of the film: its screenplay. There are so many brilliantly subtle jokes and so many of Isaac's mannerisms made fun of and focuses upon that the smile will never leave your face. It is also full of artistic maturity and integrity which Allen, in his early days (apparently), never ceased to express. Not once does he stray from the purpose of the film. Nor does he create unnecessary or cliche plot points or become dishonest in any way. He remains true to himself and the the world. And what strengthens the writing are the wonderful performances from every person in the cast.

Of course, Marial Hemmingway was nominated for the Oscar. And although she was great, the truly wonderful performance in this film was Diane Keaton's as the confused, newly-divorced Mary. She is so precise with her emotions, but reveals so many shades and builds upon the already realistic depth of Allen's screenplay. She should have been nominated for the Oscar. Also noticeably great was, of course, Woody Allen himself, who is always wonderful. Another character clearly and beautifully conveyed in the film is the city of New York.

The widescreen, black-and-white cinematography by Gordon Willis is stunning, and matches the overall tone of the film perfectly. Also complementing the photography and personality of the film is the music scattered throughout, all written by George Gershwin (the film even opens up with the commanding sound of "Rhapsody in Blue").

So as you turn off your television and relax after having finished Manhattan, you are sure to be filled with amazement at how honest, witty and glorious the film is, with the clear knowledge that Woody Allen is a pure genius.