Film Review: Annie Hall

The other day I watched a classic Woody Allen film, Annie Hall. It was, in a word, brilliant.

It reminds me a lot of a film that debuted this past summer, (500) Days of Summer, except Annie Hall was executed much better and mercifully lacked the cheesy ending.

What I love about both of these films is the way they portray relationships. Both of the movies are about love, yes, but they approach it from a much different perspective than the dreaded chick flick. Case in point: the relationship you spend two hours watching fails in the end. Is the ending unhappy? No. Is it happy? Depends.

In Annie Hall, Annie and Alvy go their separate ways, and in one of the last scenes they meet up for lunch to catch up and reminisce. Provocative last line of the movie:

"It was great seeing Annie again and I realized what a terrific person she was and how much fun it was just knowing her and I thought of that old joke, you know, the, this, this guy goes to a psychiatrist and says, 'Doc, uh, my brother's crazy, he thinks he's a chicken,' and uh, the doctor says, 'well why don't you turn him in?' And the guy says, 'I would, but I need the eggs.' Well, I guess that's pretty much now how I feel about relationships. You know, they're totally irrational and crazy and absurd and, but uh, I guess we keep going through it...because...most of us need the eggs."

Maybe this is a cynical take on relationships; I guess it depends on what the eggs are. But I think Woody is implying that sometimes people maintain relationships for the external benefits, instead of for the relationship itself. External benefits could range from trivial to heavy, e.g. from a feeling of pride to monetary security.
However, this line is not just a criticism -- I think it is also a testament to those who are able to form lasting and loving relationships.

Besides daring to convey a truth that may hit uncomfortably close to home, the film is also decorated with sincere, witty dialogue and imaginative cinematic techniques. I usually don't recommend movies to people, but in this case I will make an exception. Please. Do yourself a favor and see this movie.