Annie Hall is a romantic comedy through and through. It is the story of comedian Alvy Singer (Woody Allen) and a women , Annie Hall (Diane Keaton). Annie Hall is my favorite Woody Allen film. This is the first film of his where I feel the main agenda isn't comedy. it is based in real emotions and feelings, a roller coaster if you will. I love you, I don't love you, oh wait I do love you, that kind of thing. The flashbacks and almost jumpy narrative give it a different feel than most romantic comedies. For example Annie gets to look at Alvy as a child and he sees her past as well. There are allot of little gems in technique worth observing. My favorite is when Woody Allen's character talks to the camera about the man in front of him. The man then comes to defend himself, it exits the world of the story and enters our, the viewers, world. Finally Alvy brings the man, that the debate is about, into the situation to settle it all. It is funny and different, and does an excellent job of keeping out attention. In the same light there is an animate scene with Snow White, and Alvy breaks the fourth wall to discuss love with the audience. the film is very cleaver and easily watchable and memorable. I enjoyed every minute of it. The film has almost no musical score and very little background tones, it is said this is to pay homage to Woody's favorite director Ingmar Bergman.

Allen has said that Annie Hall was "a major turning point" both thematically and technically. "I had the courage to abandon... just clowning around and the safety of complete broad comedy. I said to myself, 'I think I will try and make some deeper film and not be as funny in the same way. And maybe there will be other values that will emerge, that will be interesting or nourishing for the audience.' And it worked out very very well." -Taken from Stig Bjorkman's book Woody Allen on Woody Allen.

Annie Hall: It's so clean out here.
Alvy Singer: That's because they don't throw their garbage away, they turn it into television shows.

5 out of 5