What are currently your 3 (or even 4 or 5 fave picks, if 3 makes it too difficult) personal favorite Woody Allen films made and released so far and please say why (for either the writing, the acting and casting, the direction, or a combo of all of these factors) for each film named.
1. Manhattan (all the reasons)
2. Stardust Memories ( I love the way the story is told, with cutaways to the past and how it reacts with the present)
3. Crimes and Misdemeanors (the writing)
runners up:
radio days
bullets over broadway
mighty aphrodite
eh...f'it their all damn good
"Yeah well, the Jerk Store called, they're running out of you!" - George Costanza
I would have to say that writing, on all accounts, is my reason for these being in my top five:
1. another woman
2. husbands and wives
3. manhattan
4. the purple rose of cairo
5. alice
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1. Manhattan
2. Annie Hall
3. Everyone Says I Love You
I appreciate Woody Allen's aesthetic sensibility. I'm in love with NYC and Paris, and I like old jazx standards from the 30s and 40s. Plus, I love dialog heavy films in which the characters light heartedly kvetch about the big ontological questions.
There aren't very many Woody Allen films that I don't like, but my three favorites (and reasons why) are:
1) Annie Hall - I never get tired of the scene where Diane Keaton and Woody are chasing lobsters around the kitchen
2) Bullets Over Broadway - Everything, but especially Chazz Palminteri
3) Radio Days - The perfect Woody Allen film: music, narration, writing, and Mia Farrow is outstanding
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Could never name just three but these are my favorites:
1. Radio Days (As perfect as a film can ever be)
2. Manhattan (That Gordon Willis did not get the Oscar for his photography is a crime.)
3. Annie Hall (One of the 2-3 best romantic comedies ever made)
4. Everyone Says I Love You (If you need to see a picture that shows what the word "charm" means, this is it.)
5. Hannah and Her Sisters (This one shows you why actors are dying to work with Woody. His writing and direction are what all actors dream about.)
6. The Purple Rose of Cairo (Wonderful with a bittersweet ending that no other director would have used.)
Why I love Woody Allen movies:
1. He makes movies for adults not 12 year olds. How many directors can you think of who do that?
2. He is the best screenwriter America has to offer.
3. He never substitutes FX and CGI for plot and character.
4. He can make you laugh one minute and stunned at the point he just made while you were laughing.
1. Bullets Over Broadway - John Cusack, Chazz (of course), and the writing is just amazing in this film.
2. Celebrity - Kenneth Branaugh was fantastic and the story really wrapped together well. I find this is one of his more overlooked films that was really spectacular.
3. Love and Death - Easily the most hilarious of his early funny ones.
I haven't seen many of Woody Allen's older films so here are my top 5:
1. Vicky Christina Barcelona
2. Everyone Says I Love You
3. Melinda and Melinda
4. Bullets Over Broadway
5. Match Point
Jack Bauer was never addicted to heroin. Heroin was addicted to Jack Bauer.
1. Manhattan (cinematography, what else?)
2. Annie Hall (best romantic comedy. ever.)
3. Crimes and Misdemeanor (Asks questions about morality.)
Was great to see Melinda and Melinda, Celebrity, and Radio Days mentioned by others. All three are under appreciated by the general public. (Only Woody Allen directed film I've seen that I think is poorly done is Small Time Crooks.)
~The man is a liar and murderer, and I say that with all due respect.~
1) Manhattan - Loved the cinematography. Loved the subject matter revolving around innocence, fear, and distrust.
2) Alice - The first Woody Allen movie I watched. Loved how it blended normal, everyday imagery with a sense of paranormal fantasy.
Only other Woody Allen movies I've seen, and this is embarrassing, are Everyone Says I Love You and A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy. After reading this thread and others similar to it, I'm waiting to see a few more.
At this moment I would have to say
Annie Hall
Midnight in Paris
Vicky Christina Barcelona
Simply because i find each of them touching and relatable.
1- Zelig (incredibly original, beautiful allegory)
2- Annie Hall (the writing, the acting)
3- Manhattan (the direction, the cinematography)
And all these movies (and a lot of Allen movies) are very, very funny.