Life can get pretty depressing. But there are always those who can find the humour in the most depressing moments.
Which leads me to Woody Allen. I love his neurotic romances, especially the classic Annie Hall (1977).
In this movie, the successful, yet very insecure, comedian Alvy Singer (played by Allen) recalls his romance with Annie Hall. The twice-divorced, unlucky in love New Yorker, falls in love with a naïve Midwestern born singer Annie Hall (played by Diane Keaton).
Their relationship is doomed from the start, mainly due to Alvy’s self-absorbed neurosis, but they cautiously connect anyway. As the relationship evolves Annie become more successful, which strengthens Alvy’s insecurities. While it’s a sad and frustrating analysis of life an love, but so witty and hilarious, that you even forget about your own neurosis.
Here are a few of my favourite moments:
Alvy recalls his non-existent latency period. He also wonders what his former classmates are doing now. (Obviously before Facebook.)
Alvy - and Marshall McLuhan – puts a pretentious movie critic in his place. “You know nothing of my work.”
Adorable subtitles of what Alvy and Annie are thinking during one of their first conversation. What’s really going on in your head when talking to the object of your affection?
Be thankful that you’re miserable.
Image borrowed from IMDB.
I'm only slightly ashamed to admit I saw this movie for the first time in its entirety this past summer at Harbourfront in the open-air cinema... and I have to say it was well worth holding out all this time until I could appreciate it fully. Allen and I don't always get along, but this was early movie magic.
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