Manhattan

Rating:
Summary: Poetic Rhapsody of opposites.
Review: There's poetry in Manhattan, the poetry of opposites. As Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue plays over lusciously composed black and white images of an idyllic Manhattan, we see picture postcards shots of Broadway, 42nd Street, Central Park, the Skyline and fireworks. Fireworks we almost wish would burst the film into color. It won't. This is a film about opposites, black and white or at least inconsistencies.

It's a film about 42 year old Isaac, (Woody Allen)and his small circle of friends. He's a successful television writer, who's been divorced twice. Isaac is having a fling with 17 year old Tracy (Mariel Hemingway). Isaac continually reminds her their relationship is temporary. When she talks about being in love with him, he tells her to not get hung up, she's too young, there's too much life for her experience, she has to go to school in London without him in the near future.

Isaac hates his job. Hates writing the junk he is writing just to earn a paycheck and support his comfortable lifestyle. He quits to get serious about the novel he's always wanted to write. He's having a bit of trouble finding his writing voice, just as he's having trouble finding balance in his life. Quitting his job however means he'll have to cut-back his lifestyle and even move into an apartment with noisy neighbors and brown water. Isaac's ex-wife (Meryl Streep) is about to publish a sure to be devastatingly personal book about their marriage. It ended when his wife left him for another woman and Isaac tried to run over her girlfriend with his car. They have a son and on visiting days old wounds are re-opened. His best friend Yale, (Michael Murphy) who is happily married, is nevertheless having an affair with Mary (Dianne Keaton). When Isaac first meets Mary, he hates her. She represents the type of Radcliff pseudo- intellectual who can't properly pronounce Van Gogh that he detests. But opposites do attract. They become friends but Isaac does not make a pass at his best friend's mistress.

Yale decides to stop cheating on his wife, and suggests to Isaac that he should date Mary.

These people operate in a world of shadows and illusions. They are all false fronts. Their self confidences, their cleverness and wit are all a facade hiding how scared, alone and vulnerable they really are. And this is not a film where suddenly they open up and reveal themselves or transform into better people. These are characters who have become a part of the city, of Manhattan, and a part of each others lives.

Gordon Willis photography is part of this charade. In one of the later montages, a romantic montage of shots is given an edge, partially by the greyness of the images (not merely black and white) and partially because cliche's are used and turned inside out. During the cliched Central Park boat row boat ride (an homage to Horsefeathers perhaps), Isaac reaches into the water and removes his hand which is now covered with sludge. At the Hayden planetarium it's so dark we see Isaac and Mary in silhouette. A shot in Mary's apartment is lit seemingly by a small table lamp.

Allen's cynicism and skepticism have never been as sharply realized than in this film. There are no slapstick sequences, and no dream sequences in this -- Allen's most assured, mature and personal of films.

There are plenty of laugh out loud lines of dialogue (courtesy of Allen and Marshall Brickman), but they seem natural, and never forced. This is a confident, relaxed Allen. He's not trying to please the audience as he did with Annie Hall. He's not making compromises with his material so he can sell a few more tickets at the box-office.

All of the actors are perfectly cast and at their peak. Even small supporting roles, like Wallace Shawn and Michael O'Donoghue are wonderful. Look fast at the t.v. show for David Rasche and Karen Allen (in a blonde wig). The Gershwin music is sometimes used as exclamation points (much as rock music is used in film). Rhapsody in Blue, Someone to Watch Over Me, and S'Marvelous in particular are worked wonderfully into the film.

This is Woody's masterpiece and a film that will be even more appreciated in years to come. Thank You

Rating:
Summary: One of teh best Woody Allen movies
Review: This is definetly one of the best (if not the best) Woody Allen movie. It's in B&W which adds a lot to the movie, the music so great and the plot is very inetresting and funny.

It's not the usual Woody Allen type comedy, but much deeper and smarter movie.

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Summary: I'm not afraid to call this 'art'
Review: I'm working my way through Woody Allen's oeuvre chronologically. 'Manhattan', to me, was the first time he managed to make an adult comedy that lived up to its artistic pretensions. It is art on a visual, sonic, aesthetic, and emotional level. All this, and terribly funny too.

I'm not one to fetishize movies that are black and white, and letterboxed. But this transfer utilizes all those qualities perfectly. The scene where Woody and Diane dance in his department to the tune of "Embraceable You" (that's the song, if memory serves), is -- cinematographically speaking -- beautifully shot. It manages to be a very poetically composed image.

My favourite sequence is when Isaac and Mary take shelter from the rain inside the planetarium. It's a very self-conscious moment (i.e., romance under the stars, only the stars are fake, so can the romance be real?) that fits nicely into the midpoint of the film. Also, it allows Isaac to (later) deliver my favourite line of the movie: "I wanted to throw you down on the lunar surface and commit interstellar perversions." What a great Woody line! If you're under the impression that 'Manhattan' is a "serious" movie, don't worry. The Woody wit flies fast and furious. Listen to Isaac's response to Mary's declaration that a child raised by two mothers has a good chance at turning into a healthy result: "It's my experience that most people don't survive one mother." Or his rejoinder to a woman who's doctor told her she had the "wrong kind of orgasm": "Even my worst one was right on the money." The writing is solid, and sometime brilliant.

The Isaac and Tracy relationship -- never mind the fact that it's prescient to Woody's own life -- says a lot about the central themes of the film. I mean, Isaac knows that he's created a problem for himself, one that takes his mind off the impossible 'real' problems that he must deal with (e.g., his current financial crisis). I found Tracy to be an unbelievable character, a little too mature to be believed (almost prodigious in this regard). And furthermore, whereas all the men in the film were gaga over her "pretty face", she seemed kind of plain too me. In fact, none of the women in the movie were very attractive; they all came off kind of cold and distant. A touch too analytical about their relationships and sexuality. I suppose that's part of the point, though.

A "film" strives towards an artistic message, combining poetry with humanity. A "movie's" main goal is to entertain, with art as an afterthought. After seeing 'Manhattan' for a second time, I've come to the conclusion that it's a better "film" than 'Annie Hall', which is a better "movie". You go to one for an entirely different purpose than you go to the other for. When taken for what they are, however, both are as perfect as Woody Allen is going to get.

P.S... Unfortunately, Michael O'Donoghue's (Mr. Mike) lengthy role was cut to two or three lines. I would have liked to follow him around a bit longer, but I guess it just didn't fit into the narrative of the movie.

Rating:
Summary: A film that I can watch repeatedly. A superb character study
Review: I really must join in the praise for Woody Allen's 1979 black & white cinema masterpiece "Manhattan". This is a film that I can watch again and again, and always find something new to appreciate about it. In fact this film is even BETTER on repeated vieweings, when you can really sit back and absorb some of the stories finer nuances and deeper issues, rather than just following the main storyline. Repeated viewing will also give you the chance to truly appreciate Allen's keen visual eye, and "Manhattan" overflows with beautiful, and at times very "meaningful" imagry. With this creative film, Allen has made optimum use of the widesreen format (and in fact this film has been made available ONLY in widescreen format by Allen's request). For those with a sharp eye, there is often subtle symbolism in the actual framing and placing of characters in the picture, and again, this is something better appreciated on repeated viewings. The music of George Gershwin also adds a certain depth of style to the film, and as another Amazon reviewer already pointed out, the films opening visual montage (set to Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue") is one the finest meldings of image and music ever committed to celluloid. Gershwin may not be the type of music that I would normally enjoy, but it is so intergrated into the soul of this film that I can't imagine any other music being used! Allen has said that he intended the city of Manhattan to be like an extra character in this film, and with a little bit of imagination, I can see what he meant. That said, "Manhattan" is really a hard film to describe to anyone who has not seen it, it's charms just really need to be FELT to be fully understood. The film can certainly be described as "romantic", but it is certainly not your average Hollywood type of romance. All I can say is that this is a richly textured piece of filmmaking, with characters that are so realistically drawn by Allen's masterful pen, and so emotionally portrayed by a stellar cast (Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Mariel Hemingway, Michael Murphy) that they don't really SEEM like movie characters at all! These seem like the sort of real people (warts, imperfections, insecurities and all!) that you could meet in your day-to-day life. Unlike much of the dreck that Hollywood has thrown at the American public, "Manhattan" is considered a classic for a reason! Don't miss this innovative piece of filmmaking! By the way, for those of you who are already fans of this film, the DVD version offers vastly superior picture and sound quality,...in fact I just pulled out my old VHS copy to compare the two! On the DVD the black-n-white shadings are much crisper and well defined, and the sound is crystal clear for a film from this period. The DVD also adds the original theatrical trailer.

Rating:
Summary: Romanticized all out of proportion? Nah...
Review: "Annie Hall" may be generally regarded as the funniest of Woody Allen's adult comedies, but there's much to be said for the richly textured "Manhattan." Mariel Hemingway is perfectly cast as the doe-eyed (and teen-aged) Tracy, the initial love interest of Allen's Isaac Davis. Setting aside any parallels to Mr. Allen's current real-life situation, suffice it to say that the relationship between Isaac and Tracy is sweet and passionate, and ultimately the heart of the life lesson Isaac learns. Dianne Keaton (Mary Wilke) is the hyper, neurotic adult involved with Isaac's married friend Yale (Michael Murphy). Together, Hemingway and Keaton give excellent performances: perhaps even Mariel's best, while Keaton's is at times cloying but at heart quite sympathetic in a search for love in Manhattan. Which brings us to the real star of the film: the city itself. The opening montage alone--set to Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue"--paints a delightfully romantic, pulsing portrait of Allen's New York. Cinematographer Gordon Willis's sumptuous black-and-white was shamefully overlooked by the Academy. Visually, the film is stunning, with a palette of tones that reflect the story's inherent warmth as well as its moments of stark confrontation. Allen has worked in black-and-white several times, but this is the most successful effort. And, as much as he seems to decry it, Woody once again creates a sentimental--but never mawkish--ode to love, human frailties, and the Big Apple. Yes, that's Meryl Streep as the other woman. If a classic film is one that stands the test of time, then "Manhattan" is holding up exceptionally well. Even bettern than "Annie Hall."

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Summary: Woody's Best.
Review: I am in love with this film. When I first saw it,I was spellbound. So beautifully filmed in black & white. Gorgeous Gershwin music. This is New York!!! Wonderfuly written & acted. Sad,hilarious & purely masterful,it is arguably Allen's best work so far. This great movie still enchants me. I always feel good after watching it. It's never too long,& I LOVE the last scene with Hemmingway & Allen. This is my Woody Allen dessert-island-movie. God bless DVD.

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Summary: Outstanding! It was his town, and it always would be...
Review: This movie is outstanding on so many levels. First of all it has one of the all-time great openings. And not a great opening like Raising Arizona has a great opening. The first 5 minutes of Manhattan are on par with a Picasso painting or Rodin sculpture. It is so visually appealing that it's worth playing over and over again. Anyone who loves New York will fall in love with the opening shots of the city.

Another thing that makes the movie is the use of Black and White film. Perfect. Really gives it the right feel.

This movie is only rivaled by Annie Hall for best film of the Seventies. Star Wars was fantastic, but this film is much more aesthetically pleasing which is one of the great marks of a film. To me a movie is like the traditional arts, where the truly great works such as this are enjoyed again and again not for the action and adventure but simply for the pleasure the scenes offer the eyes and the heart. It's about associations. And Manhattan the island, not the movie, for myself and many others has enough fond memories to make the movie an enjoyable trip down memory lane.

Even for those New Yorkers who despise Woody Allen, which is a surprisingly disproportionate number, this movie's opening alone is worth viewing. The scene of Yankee Stadium and the fireworks during the climax of Rhapsody in Blue are perfect.

Truly a timeless masterpiece

Rating:
Summary: cyt
Review: This is, without a doubt, Woody Allen's masterpiece. The stunning black and white photography, Gershwin's music and the performances mark this out as a landmark in modern cinema. No matter how many times I see this, the final scene always brings a tear to the eye. The fact that Ike (Woody Allen) is over twenty years older than Tracy (Mariel Hemingway) might put some people off, but their age difference actually makes their romance more bittersweet. Straddling Woody's earlier 'funny films' and his later serious efforts, this film manages to combine both approaches to stunning effect.

Buy it now!

Rating:
Summary: Not just for Allen fans
Review: »Manhattan« is one of the best movies ever to have come from Woody Allen.

It is poetic yet very realistic. And the black and white filming gives it a high level of aesteticism.

The acting is extremely good and nearly over-realistic, as always in Allen movies.

And what's more: the story is pretty straight forward and has a lot of really brilliant humor, so »Manhattan« is not only for Allen fans!

Rating:
Summary: Pulsates to the music of George Gershwin
Review: __________________

Not only one of Woody Allen's best movies, one of the best movies, period. While Annie Hall is a great movie, the development of Allen's talent between AH and Manhattan is startling. The day "I thin out" I hope I'm still able to watch this and enjoy it. The chemistry of the cast is a factor in its success.

In brief, the movie is a love story in which the only mature character is 17 years old.

Those who don't care for Woody's most serious movies ("Interiors", "Crimes and Misdemeanors", "Stardust Memories", "Husbands and Wives", even in its way "Manhattan Murder Mystery") won't have any trouble watching this one. The first time I saw it, pushing twenty years ago, I wanted to haul off and slap most of the "adult" characters. That's not a reaction I have to the fluff and trivia that constitutes most of Hollywood's output.

At this price for the DVD, it's a crime to not buy it.