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- DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenDiane KeatonMariel HemingwayThe life of a divorced television writer dating a teenage girl is further complicated when he falls in love with his best friend's mistress.His masterpiece.
Not simply a classic motion picture, a true work of art.
The cinematography is stunning. The script is brilliant, and the leads are all uniformly strong. The way the music is woven into the story is pure magic.
Woody Allen should have won his second Oscar for directing.
10. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsMia FarrowDianne WiestMichael CaineBetween two Thanksgivings two years apart, Hannah's husband falls in love with her sister Lee, while her hypochondriac ex-husband rekindles his relationship with her sister Holly.This was my favorite for many years till I finally watched Manhattan.
His second Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, and it's brilliant. So many great characters all layered together into one beautifully told story.
Dianne Weist and Michael Caine each won Oscars.
10. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenDiane KeatonTony RobertsAlvy Singer, a divorced Jewish comedian, reflects on his relationship with ex-lover Annie Hall, an aspiring nightclub singer, which ended abruptly just like his previous marriages.His great triumph.
Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress. All deserved.
10. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsMia FarrowJeff DanielsDanny AielloIn 1935 New Jersey, a movie character walks off the screen and into the real world.A fantasy love story that is as sweet as anything Woody ever did. Mia Farrow plays such a tragic character, it breaks my heart every time I watch it.
10. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsOwen WilsonRachel McAdamsKathy BatesWhile on a trip to Paris with his fiancée's family, a nostalgic screenwriter finds himself mysteriously going back to the 1920s every day at midnight.Another fantasy love story. But where The Purple Rose was a sad and tragic story, Midnight in Paris is fun and exciting, and has a much happier ending. The best thing Woody had done in years.
And another Oscar for Original Screenplay.
10. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenDiane KeatonJohn BeckA nerdish store owner is revived out of cryostasis into a future world to fight an oppressive government.This is one of the early funny movies that made me a fan when I was a kid. Perhaps his most purely funny movie. It's absolutely hilarious, beginning to end.
It channels Chaplin, the Marx brothers and the Keystone Cops.
And this is Diane Keaton at her most sexy.
10. - DirectorHerbert RossStarsWoody AllenDiane KeatonTony RobertsA film critic obsessed with Casablanca (1942) seeks to get over his wife leaving him by dating again with the help of a married couple and his illusory idol, Humphrey Bogart.Another brilliant early one. Woody didn't direct it. He simply wrote it, and starred. And he's terrific.
Quirky, clumsy and neurotic, as only Woody can be.
His first with Diane Keaton.
9. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenMia FarrowNick Apollo ForteIn his attempts to reconcile a lounge singer with his mistress, a hapless talent agent is mistaken as her lover by a jealous gangster.A wonderfully entertaining story.
Of all of Mia Farrow's characters she played, in the 13 movies she made with Woody, this might be my favorite. She should have been nominated for her role.
9. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsMartin LandauWoody AllenBill BernsteinAn ophthalmologist's mistress threatens to reveal their affair to his wife while a married documentary filmmaker is infatuated with another woman.This reminds me of Vonnegut's book Breakfast of Champions, where there is two completely different stories going on, and the two main characters only meet briefly in the end. Two wonderful stories. One very heavy, and one (with Woody) very light.
9. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenMia FarrowJosé FerrerA wacky inventor and his wife invite two other couples for a weekend party at a romantic summer house in the 1900s countryside.Woody loves to write about sex, and he does so with all the comedic flair and absurdity that marked his early stuff. Just plain fun. And Mia's debut with Woody.
9. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsJohn CusackDianne WiestJennifer TillyIn New York in 1928, a struggling playwright is forced to cast a mobster's talentless girlfriend in his latest drama in order to get it produced.Broadway meets the mob, in this charming tale, that won Dianne Weist her second oscar for a Woody movie. One of his best film of the 90's.
9. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsMia FarrowDianne WiestMike StarrA nostalgic look at radio's golden age focusing on one ordinary family and the various performers in the medium.Sweet memories of Woody's youth. Stories of his family and others all tied together by the radio era. He often claims that his movies are not autobiographical, and we often don't believe it. This is one. And one of his most sentimental. But with tonnes of charm.
8.5 - DirectorWoody AllenStarsSean PennSamantha MortonWoody AllenIn the 1930s, jazz guitarist Emmet Ray idolizes Django Reinhardt, faces gangsters and falls in love with a mute woman.Sean Penn is amazing. One of his all time greatest roles. He was nominated for the role, as was Samantha Morton. He's not Spicoli, but he's just as funny, and charming. Perhaps Woody's best movie of the 90's.
8. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenJanet MargolinMarcel HillaireThe life and times of Virgil Starkwell, inept bank robber.His first film with artistic control. A Mockumentary about notoriously inept criminal Virgil Starkwell. We don't yet see his trademark opening credits, as he was evolving as a filmmaker. But very funny.
8. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenMia FarrowPatrick Horgan"Documentary" about a man who can look and act like whoever he's around, and meets various famous people.One of many examples you can use to argue to those silly people that find Woody too boring and conservative. What a bizzarre little movie, and what a gem. A mock documentary about the long forgotten Zelig (who? well watch the movie).
Funny and sad.
8. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsCate BlanchettAlec BaldwinPeter SarsgaardA New York socialite, deeply troubled and in denial, arrives in San Francisco to impose upon her sister. She looks like a million dollars but isn't bringing money, peace or love.This movie continues Woody's recent minor winning streak. Cate Blanchett is wonderful as the 'on the edge of a nervous breakdown throughout' title character. I'm not sure if I don't like her, or just feel sorry for her, and in the end we are left wondering just how tragically her story might end.
8. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenDiane KeatonGeorges AdetIn czarist Russia, a neurotic soldier and his distant cousin formulate a plot to assassinate Napoleon.This was the film where people began to realise that Woody was pretty smart too. Sure we knew he was zany, and goofy, and hilarious. But this was actually kinda 'high brow', or so it seemed to his fans. Still zany and goofy though.
7.5 - DirectorWoody AllenStarsRebecca HallScarlett JohanssonJavier BardemTwo friends on a summer holiday in Spain become enamored with the same painter, unaware that his ex-wife, with whom he has a tempestuous relationship, is about to re-enter the picture.ok, the narrator is pretty irritating. But beyond that, I love the script. Scarlett Johansson is at least passable in this (unlike Match Point) and Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz (who is gorgeous in this) are both wonderful.
7.5 - DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenCharlotte RamplingJessica HarperWhile attending a retrospective of his work, a filmmaker recalls his life and his loves: the inspirations for his films.Again, boring? conservative? Not Woody. His take on Fellini is so off the charts (and that's saying something), many people didn't get it initially. Many still don't. I'm not sure I completely do. But it's such a personal artistic statement. And again, viually stunning.
7. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenDiane KeatonJerry AdlerA middle-aged couple suspects foul play when their neighbor's wife suddenly drops dead.His first movie, post Mia. Re-enter Diane Keaton. This is one that makes me feel Woody could write a script in his sleep. Cause that's how it sort of feels. It's certainly not one of his most inspired scripts. Still it is lots of fun.
7.5 - DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenLouise LasserCarlos MontalbánWhen a bumbling New Yorker is dumped by his activist girlfriend, he travels to a tiny Latin American nation and becomes involved in its latest rebellion.Another early gagfest. Only I found this one a little more on the sophmoric side (unlike Sleeper and Play it Again, Sam which were both brilliant in their hilarity). However the opening scene with Howard Cosell is brilliant.
7. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsTimothée ChalametElle FanningLiev SchreiberA young couple arrives in New York for a weekend where they are met with bad weather and a series of adventures.It’s always about sex. Everything’s about sex.
That is a quote from the movie, and it about sums up the whole movie, although when I think about it, that about sums up most of Woody’s movie. Charming though.
7. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsJesse EisenbergKristen StewartSteve CarellIn the 1930s, a Bronx native moves to Hollywood and falls in love with a young woman who is seeing a married man.Jesse Eisenberg is almost quirky enough to pull off the Woody character. Nostalgia is Woody's favorite theme these days. Beautifully shot.
7. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenGoldie HawnJulia RobertsA New York girl sets her father up with a beautiful woman in a troubled marriage while her stepsister gets engaged.Is there anything Woody can't do? A musical? Why not. And it's good. And funny, of course. A wonderful cast of actors you wouldn't think of as singers, even Woody himself.
7. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsColin FirthEmma StoneMarcia Gay HardenA romantic comedy about an Englishman brought in to help unmask a possible swindle. Personal and professional complications ensue.A cute little story, that is big on charm, but is full of Woody's cynical take on life. His persistent shots at religion are beginning to wear on me. But it is a pleasant picture.
7. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenMia FarrowMichael KirbyWith a serial strangler on the loose, a bookkeeper wanders around town searching for the vigilante group intent on catching the killer.Another one in black and white. And an effective use of it to add to the atmosphere of the story. It's an odd little story, and not well known among Woody's pictures. But very underrated.
7. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsDiane KeatonGeraldine PageKristin GriffithThree sisters find their lives spinning out of control in the wake of their parents' sudden, unexpected divorce.Slow and heavy. But the acting is stunning. It draws you in, more and more as the film goes along. Perhaps a little too heavy for my taste, but it's sad and it's beautiful. And beautifully shot.
7. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsElaine StritchDenholm ElliottMia FarrowAt a summer house in Vermont, neighbor Howard falls in love with Lane, who's in a relationship with Peter, who's falling for Stephanie, who's married with children.He loves her, but she loves him, but he loves somebody else, you just can't win. Love Stinks. Terrific acting, but sad. And like some of Woody's scripts, a tremendous lack of empathy.
7. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsMia FarrowWilliam HurtJoe MantegnaA spoiled Manhattan housewife re-evaluates her life after visiting a Chinatown healer.7.
- DirectorMartin RittStarsWoody AllenZero MostelHerschel BernardiIn 1953, a cashier poses as a writer for blacklisted talents to submit their work through, but the injustice around him pushes him to take a stand.He didn't write it, or direct it, but he's the star, and it does feel like a Woody Allen picture. So it must be included on the list as well. Taking place during the McCarthy era of the black lists, the film was written and directed by guys that had been blacklisted during that time. And Woody is wonderful, as always.
7. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenMira SorvinoPamela BlairWhen he discovers his adopted son is a genius, a New York sportswriter seeks out the boy's birth mother: a ditzy porn star and prostitute.Woody and a hooker...yup, sounds like a greek tragedy to me. I'm not sure if Mira Sorvino deserved the Oscar or not, but she is very funny.
7. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenMia FarrowSydney PollackWhen their best friends announce that they're separating, a professor and his wife discover the faults in their own marriage.His last movie with Mia. They broke up right at the end of filming. Which is interesting considering they were playing a couple whose marriage is breaking up. Personally I didn't care too much for this movie. It was a good script, and the acting was top notch. I just hated the charcters. Unlike, say Manhattan, where the characters are flawed, but we care for them anyways, I just don't like these people.
7. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsColin FarrellEwan McGregorHayley AtwellThe tale of two brothers with serious financial woes. When a third party proposes they turn to crime, things go badly and the two become enemies.Woody at his heaviest. And like many people, I liked the movie, didn't like the ending. However, both Ewan McGregor and Colin Farrell are excellent in the leads. An underrated modern film of Woody's.
7. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenJudy DavisJulia Louis-DreyfusSuffering from writer's block and eagerly awaiting his writing award, Harry Block remembers events from his past and scenes from his best-selling books as characters, real and fictional, come back to haunt him.A simple story of a neurotic, atheist sex addict writer. Stop me if you’ve seen this one before from Woody. The quirky part is we are introduced to the “real” characters as well the versions of them from his stories.
7 - DirectorWoody AllenStarsGena RowlandsMia FarrowIan HolmFacing a mid-life crisis, a woman rents an apartment next to a psychiatrist's office to write a new book, only to become drawn to the plight of a pregnant woman seeking that doctor's help.Another heavy drama. Like 'Interiors' and 'Husbands and Wives', I found it a little too heavy to be overly entertaining to me. Although the performances are top notch. Gena Rowlands was wonderful.
6.5 - DirectorClive DonnerStarsPeter SellersPeter O'TooleRomy SchneiderA playboy who refuses to give up his hedonistic lifestyle to settle down and marry his true love seeks help from a demented psychoanalyst who is having romantic problems of his own.His first film, though he didn't direct it. And apparently he was not too pleased with what they did with his script. However it's very funny, though does lose a bit of steam near the end. But there are very few movies with as many beautiful women in them as this one.
6.5 - DirectorWoody AllenStarsJoaquin PhoenixEmma StoneParker PoseyA tormented philosophy professor finds a will to live when he commits an existential act.Irrational is right. This movie is full of themes Woody has explored in many of his other movies. Life, Death, Murder, and of course sex and infidelity.
6.5 - DirectorWoody AllenStarsGreg StebnerWoody AllenJohn TormeyAn insurance investigator and an efficiency expert who hate each other are both hypnotized by a crooked hypnotist with a jade scorpion into stealing jewels.I'm not sure why all the hate for this movie. Fact is, none of his post 2000 movies are classics (other than Midnight in Paris). But it is fun, and well acted. Woody is starting to look old, but he's still very good in this.
6.5 - DirectorWoody AllenStarsScarlett JohanssonJonathan Rhys MeyersEmily MortimerAt a turning point in his life, a former tennis pro falls for an actress who happens to be dating his friend and soon-to-be brother-in-law.I hated this on first viewing, and I still can't believe the same guy who wrote Annie Hall wrote this. The script is wooden and all mellow dramatic, and in the hands of Scarlett Johansson and Johnathon Rhys Meyers it doesn't fly. They have no chemistry.
6. - 19721h 28mR6.7 (42K)66MetascoreDirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenGene WilderLouise LasserSeven stories are trying to answer the question: what is sex? Or maybe they are not trying.Woody as a sperm. only Woody.
6. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsWallace ShawnDamian ChapaBobby SlaytonA married American couple goes to the San Sebastian Festival and gets caught up in the magic of the event, the beauty and charm of the city, and the fantasy of movies.Woody’s love letter to himself, I think. An ageing neurotic writer, with a younger beautiful wife, worrying about life, love, infidelity and of course death. With images of Brunel and Fellini to remind him of the geniuses that he is always trying to reach for, while feeling he’ll never succeed.
6. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenPenélope CruzJesse EisenbergThe lives of some visitors and residents of Rome and the romances, adventures and predicaments they get into.Four stories, all taking place in Rome, but not tied together at all. They don't even run in the same time frame. Why is Roberto Benigni famous? He just is? What is Alec Baldwin doing in those scenes with Jesse Eisenberg? We're not sure. This film is a mess. But it's a charming mess.
6. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsKenneth BranaghJudy DavisLeonardo DiCaprioThe fortunes of a husband and wife differ drastically after they divorce.Woody's take on the cult of celebrity. I'm a huge fan, so I guess that's why, to me, Woody (or his stand in- in this case Kenneth Branagh playing his part) can sometimes be so narcissistic, yet be so charming at the same time.
6. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenJason BiggsChristina RicciJerry Falk learns a lesson the hard way when he falls in love with the beautiful but flighty Amanda.Woody is very funny in this. A very different character for him. However, like so many of his movies since the turn of the century, it's simply average. It's not too bad, it's just not great.
6. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsWill FerrellVinessa ShawChiwetel EjioforTwo alternating stories, one comedy and the other tragedy, about Melinda's attempts to straighten out her life.Another unique idea from Woody. The same story told two different ways. The drama and the comedy. Unfortunately, the comedy isn't all that hilarious. It is however at least a little lighter and more fun than the other story, whose characters I didn't enjoy very much.
5. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsScarlett JohanssonHugh JackmanJim DunkAn American journalism student in London scoops a big story, and begins an affair with an aristocrat as the incident unfurls.A fun, but slight, fantasy murder caper. Have you ever noticed how many of Woody's movies have magic and magicians as part of the story? And for the first time, Woody really is starting to look old.
5. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenTéa LeoniBob DorianA director is forced to work with his ex-wife, who left him for the boss of the studio bankrolling his new film. But the night before the first day of shooting, he develops a case of psychosomatic blindness.A funny idea, but the Hollywood ending was less than wonderful. And have you noticed how Woody is like Hugh Heffner? He keeps getting older, but his girlfriends in his movies don't.
5. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsWoody AllenTracey UllmanHugh GrantA loser of a crook and his wife strike it rich when a botched bank job's cover business becomes a spectacular success.Funny, but disjointed. It starts off as one kind of movie, then suddenly it takes you over here, then over there. It almost felt like Woody was making it up as he went along, with no rewrites. Kinda cute though, I guess.
5. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsEvan Rachel WoodLarry DavidHenry CavillA middle-aged, misanthropic divorcé from New York City surprisingly enters a fulfilling, Pygmalion-type relationship with a much younger, unsophisticated Southern girl.Woody the angry liberal. Only, Larry David does the dirty work. Pretentious in the worst way.
4. - DirectorWoody AllenStarsAnthony HopkinsNaomi WattsJosh BrolinSally's parents' marriage breaks up when her father undergoes a mid-life crisis and impulsively weds a prostitute. Meanwhile, Sally's own marriage also begins to disintegrate.I could never get tired of looking at Frieda Pinto. Unfortunately, there is not much else to recommend. As mediocre as Woody has ever been.
4. - DirectorWoody AllenSenkichi TaniguchiStarsWoody AllenThe Lovin' SpoonfulFrank BuxtonWoody Allen re-dubs the Japanese spy film Kokusai himitsu keisatsu: Kagi no kagi (1965), turning it into a comedy about an agent pursuing the world's greatest egg salad recipe.A clever idea, rewriting english dialouge, with a totally different plot overtop of a japanese movie. However the execution was not all that wonderful. Some bits are kinda funny, but some feel pretty silly. And I don't think it has aged too well.
4.