Annie Hall

Alvy' (Woody Allen) and Annie' (Diane Keaton) first encounter in Annie Hall pretty much sums up for me why it is such a great movie. As the two meet at the entrance of a gym where they have just played a doubles tennis match and they fumble around each other in their attraction. And Annie utters what AFI has claimed is the 55th greatest movie quote of all time: la-di da, la-di da. Its so endearing that I can't help but smile.

Now Allen has played the neurotic intellect New Yorker in countless movies but never so well as in this film. You see him with friends and lovers and you see him misstep and impress. You see him self destruct his own relationships at times. It feels so real as a study of a relationship. It has its more screwball elements such as Woody pulling a writer from behind a movie standee in order to ridicule an obnoxious guy in line at the movies or the thoughts of the characters shown in subtitle on the screen as Alvy and Annie bumble their way through a early conversation.

But all of that works in a sincere way. And of course its a movie that doesn't feel the need to cheat in a Hollywood ending sort of way. Its not by any means a negative ending but it feels like a real ending. Through in the savvy and witty dialog which Allen brings and you have a truly enjoyable and well done comedy.