Allen. I’m a great admirer of the work of Woody Allen. I hesitate saying “fan” because I feel like that implies some sort of personal affinity or preference and I don’t think that’s an accurate description of my appreciation of his films. It’s certainly tough comparing Woody with his large oeuvre (edges out Hitchcock with 1 for an astounding 33 archiveable films) which admittedly, has many lightweight artistic entries (Take the Money and Run, Manhattan Murder Mystery, Mighty Aphrodite), with those like Leone, Malick, Dreyer, Griffith, Eisenstein, Tarantino etc with fewer films but undoubtedly a higher quality per-film ratio. The bottom line is the only directors with more films in the all-time top 500 are Hitchcock, Bergman, Ozu, Kubrick and Ford so his filmography get in in the 17th slot but he can’t quite touch the stylistic mastery of a few that have slipped past him.
Best film: Manhattan. Another tough decision for me here. Manhattan is his most beautiful film in Allen’s filmography and Annie hall his most innovative and formally groundbreaking. I’m fine with either as his best film. Manhattan is wonderfully shot—it’s Gordon Willis’ best work along with The Godfather and Godfather II which is saying something because he also did some amazing work for Pakula as well.
total archiveable films: 33
top 100 films: 2 (Manhattan, Annie Hall)
top 500 films: 7 (Manhattan, Annie Hall, Hannah and Her Sisters, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Husbands and Wives, Broadway Danny Rose, Stardust Memories)
top 100 films of the decade: 11(Manhattan, Annie Hall, Love and Death, Hannah and Her Sisters, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Stardust Memories, Broadway Danny Rose, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Zelig, Husbands and Wives, Match Point)
most overrated: Zelig. Zelig is overrated. It’s not the 6th best Allen film nor is it the 715th best film of all-time in my mind as TSPDT would argue. I still admire the film and it does have its admirers as a “groundbreaking mockumentary” but really Bunuel was doing this long before and that’s a pretty specific genre to be praising something for its pioneer-ness.
most underrated: Husbands and Wives. There are a ton of candidates here including Interiors (growing on me) Match Point, and even Hannah and Her Sisters at #537 all-time but leaving off Husbands from the top 1000 is the most egregious I believe.
but this is Woody Allen 20+ years before
gem I want to spotlight: I’ll just spotlight the entire 80’s period (or work with Mia Farrow which is technically 1982-1992) for Woody Allen because I think it gets overlooked too often. Everyone talks about his films with Keaton, his early “funny” films, and his recent mixed results in this century are all well-known and discussed…. but his 1980’s films, from is 8 ½-inspired Stardust Memories to Husbands and Wives, Woody made 12 archivable films in 13 years, 7 top 10 films of their year, and a whopping 6 top 5 films of their year…. Wow… it’s an amazing run and that’s coming off Annie Hall, Interiors and Manhattan from 1977-1979.
stylistic innovations/traits: Allen is not just a writer (though he’s amongst the best in the history of cinema). His best work has great visual prowess (Manhattan) and/or incorporates a rigid formal structure (Hannah and Her Sister with the titles). Allen’s greatest stretch (certainly from 1977-1989) have spectacular images (as you can see here). Gordon Willis who I mentioned earlier on Manhattan made 34 total films as DP and 8 of those are with Allen (from 1977 with Annie Hall and ending with Purple Rose in 1985). A great period of director and DP collaboration. He worked with Antonioni’s DP (Blow-Up) Carlo Di Palma from 1986-1997), Sven Sykvist (famous frequent Bergman collaborator of course) on Another Woman, Crimes and Misdemeanors and I honestly think there will be a delayed appreciation for Allen’s most recent work with Vittorio Storaro in Café Society and Wonder Wheel (Storaro from Apocalypse Now and The Conformist). Unfortunately, we have his missteps this century fresh in our memory that sometimes it seems like gems like Blue Jasmine, VCB, and Match Point are few and far between. When he was at his heights his films were sumptuously shot and inventively edited. Think of how Annie Hall must have looked to people in 1977. I think the cuts to cartoons, breakaway dialogue segments and interaction with memories, the narrator, etc seem common today but were anything but in 1977. Clearly Allen was influenced by Bergman but equally he was influenced by the Marx brothers and his best work combines the two (amongst other things including Russian literature and Greek (and really all including kant) philosophy). Of course Allen incorporates his love of jazz music, his simplistic black and white titles, reoccurring narrative things on love, sex, neurosis, infidelity, psychoanalysis.
top 10
- Manhattan
- Annie Hall
- Hannah and Her Sisters
- Crimes and Misdemeanors
- Husbands and Wives
- Broadway Danny Rose
- Stardust Memories
- The Purple Rose of Cairo
- Match Point
- Love and Death
By year and grades
| 1969- Take the Money and Run | R |
| 1971- Bananas | R |
| 1972- Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex But were Afraid to Ask | R |
| 1973- Sleeper | HR |
| 1975- Love and Death | MS |
| 1977- Annie Hall | MP |
| 1978- Interiors | MS |
| 1979- Manhattan | MP |
| 1980- Stardust Memories | MS |
| 1982- A Midsummer Night’s Sex Comedy | R |
| 1983- Zelig | HR |
| 1984- Broadway Danny Rose | MS |
| 1985- The Purple Rose of Cairo | MS |
| 1986- Hannah and Her Sisters | MP |
| 1987- Radio Days | HR |
| 1987- September | R |
| 1988- Another Woman | R |
| 1989- Crimes and Misdemeanors | MP |
| 1990-Alice | R |
| 1991- Shadows and Fog | R |
| 1992- Husband and Wives | MS |
| 1993- Manhattan Murder Mystery | |
| 1994- Bullets Over Broadway | |
| 1995- Mighty Aphrodite | R |
| 1996- Everyone Says I Love you | R |
| 1997- Deconstructing Harry | R |
| 1999- Sweet and Lowdown | R |
| 2005- Match Point | MS |
| 2008- Vicky Christina Barcelona | R |
| 2011- Midnight in Paris | R |
| 2013- Blue Jasmine | HR |
| 2016- Café Society | R |
| 2017- Wonder Wheel | R |
*MP is Masterpiece- top 1-3 quality of the year film
MS is Must-see- top 5-6 quality of the year film
HR is Highly Recommend- top 10 quality of the year film
R is Recommend- outside the top 10 of the year quality film but still in the archives
It’s fascinating that The Brutalist and Megalopolis were released in the same year and have remarkably similar premises (about a genius and talented creator facing oppression in his attempt at making his creation).
Apparently, his 51st feature film has started filming!
It sounds generic
@Harry- No Vittorio Storaro!
@Drake- Have you seen Allen’s later films after Wonder Wheel? If so, what did you think of them? All of them shot by Vittorio Storaro.
@Malith- I’ve seen 2 of the 3- I’ve seen Rifkin’s Festival and A Rainy Day in New York- but not Coup de Chance yet. They’re no more than Ok- I don’t have crazy high expectations. What did you think?
@Drake- It’s the opposite for me in terms of watches. I have seen Coup de Chance but not A Rainy Day in New York and Rifkin’s Festival. I think Coup de Chance is pretty good. It has a very interesting visual theme going on as well with the use of cold, stark colours when she is with her husband and bright, shiny colours when she is with her boyfriend. Not much to complain here. Pretty good, script, acting, and visuals like I said. Although it’s strange seeing Allen work in a completely different language.
I’ve been 50/50 on whether to watch or not watch A Rainy Day in New York in particular. It has a great cast and talent behind the camera. But disappointing to hear that it’s only OK. I heard Allen is shooting a new film this year in Spain.
He and another director who won’t be mentioned are my examples were I hate the person but enjoy their work in film
There was a Chinese poet, Cao Cao, who wrote classic poetry that is influential even today, and beautiful even in English. He was also a warlord who slaughtered millions of people. Me personally, if I can look past the “making piles of human heads” and “made the streets run red with rivers of blood”, I can look past whatever a certain director did or said.
@K- great example – wasn’t on my radar
@dom- yes, many people are not able to separate the art from the artist. I really don’t have a problem doing it.
@Drake-Did you manage to catch Coup de Chance (2023)?
@Anderon- I have not yet, you?
@Drake-Yes, I did. More than a year ago now I think. It’s a very fine film. Another very well photographed film from Storaro using distinct cold and bright colours/environments to fit the mood.
@Anderson- great- thanks for the recommendation. I will see it- but it isn’t near the top of my list right now.
@Drake-Did you manage to catch Allen’s Coup de Chance (2023)? Certified Fresh on RT.
@Lionel – Not yet, you? I’m one film behind on Allen- I’ve seen A Rainy Day in New York and Rifkin’s Festival now
@Drake-I have seen it. It’s a lovely film. Another very subtle colour palette from Storaro to differentiate the scenes between when the lead is with her husband and when she is with her lover.
@Lionel- very interesting- thanks for sharing
@Drake-By one film behind do you mean you watched 49 out of Allen’s 50 films? That’s impressive. How many of them were archivable? He has to be the leader in archivable films, right?
@Lionel – I have seen the first 49- even finally caught up with New York Stories last year. I could be missing someone- but just spot-checked Allen (34 films), Hitchcock (34) and Ford (33) who I believe have the most.
My ranking of Allen`s films that I`ve seen:
1. Manhattan MP
2. Annie Hall MP
3. Hannah and Her Sisters MP
4. Crimes and Misdemeanors MP
5. Interiors MS
6. Broadway Danny Rose MS
7. Stardust Memories MS
8. The Purple Rose of Cairo HR/MS
9. Zelig HR
10. Love and Death HR
11. Match Point HR
12. Husbands and Wives HR
13. Radio Days HR
14. Sleeper HR
15. Blue Jasmine R/HR
16. Midnight in Paris R/HR
17. Vicky Cristina Barcelona R
18. Everything You Wanted to Know About Sex R
20 Best Performances
1. Keaton- Annie Hall 5
2. Caine- Hannah and Her Sisters 5
3. Landau- Crimes and Misdemeanors 5
4. Farrow- The Purple Rose of Cairo 5
5. Page- Interiors 5
6. Blanchett- Blue Jasmine 5
7. Hershey- Hannah and Her Sisters 5
8. Wiest- Hannah and Her Sisters 5
9. Hemingway- Manhattan 5
10. Allen- Annie Hall 5
11. Keaton- Interiors 5
12. Farrow- Broadway Danny Rose 5
13. Keaton- Manhattan 4.5
14. Farrow- Hannah and Her Sisters 4.5
15. Cruz- Vicky Cristina Barcelona 4.5
16. Johansson- Match Point 4.5
17. Huston- Crimes and Misdemeanors 4.5
18. Daniels- The Purple Rose of Cairo 4.5
19. Allen- Hannah and Her Sisters 4
20. Meyers- Match Point 4
@Anderson. Thanks, will keep a lookout for Coup de Chance – has been on my radar. Big fan of Play It Again Sam as well, which is of course not directed by him, but still feels like a Woody Allen film
@LeRoi-Wonder Wheel is way too low I think. It’s a visual marvel. You need to see Coup de Chance if you haven’t. It could be his best work since Crimes and Misdemeanours.
Personal list for Woody films seen:
1. Annie Hall
2. Hannah and her Sisters
3. Manhattan
4. Crimes and Misdemeanors
5. The Purple Rose of Cairo
6. Zelig
7. Deconstructing Harry
8. Broadway Danny Rose
9. Blue Jasmine
10 Manhattan Murder Mystery
11. Sweet and Lowdown
12. Sleeper
13. Vicky Christina Barcelona
14. Mighty Aphrodite
15. Match Point
16. Bullets over Broadway
17. Take the Money and Run
18. Love and Death
19. Everyone Says I Love You
20. Celebrity
21. Midnight in Paris
22. Shadows and Fog
23. Irrational Man
24. Cafe Society
25. Melinda and Melinda
26. Curse of the Jade Scorpion
27. Whatever Works
28. Wonder Wheel
29. To Rome with Love
30. Scoop
31 You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger
32 Magic in the Moonlight
33. A Rainy Day in New York
34. Small Time Crooks
Still need to see Husband and Wives, Stardust Memories, Another Woman, Radio Days and Alice
@LeRoi- This is great- thank you for sharing this