Annie Hall is a story about love and loss hysterically told through the perspective of awkward and nerdy comedian Alvy Singer, played by Woody Allen. The relationship between Alvy and Annie Hall, played by Diane Keaton, is shown, beginning to end, through a series of memories. Alvy's anal-retentive behavior and Annie's quirkiness combine to make a hilarious couple. The dialogue in the film is what really makes it great and drives the plot. Not only is it fast paced and verbose, the banter is also smartly witty, filled with sarcasm, puns, and innuendos.Woody Allen, who directs and stars in the movie, convincingly portrays Alvy's foibles and wit. He develops intricate mannerisms for Alvy, like his awkward and fumbling speech. However, the true gem in this film is Diane Keaton's performance as Annie Hall. Keaton won an Oscar for best actress for her tole. Annie's complexity is deepened through Keaton's ability to create a rich humanity and realness under the external ditsy and quirky behavior that characterizes Annie.
An interesting technical aspect of the film is Allen's departure from accepted and 'normal' types of storytelling. At times he speaks directly at the camera, while all the action is still going on around him. Sometimes it is simply Allen alone, doing a monologue to the camera. Allen even uses animation as a way to get the ideas and events across to the audience. Such use of different mediums and methods truly adds to the artistic vision of the movie as a whole. It mirrors the eccentricities seen in the characters in Annie Hall.
I think this movie deserves to be on AFI's top 100 list. The movie is unique to the genre of romantic comedy which can tend to become formulaic and predictable in nature. This movie keeps the audience guessing and throws quirks and curve balls at the viewer. This is what makes Allen's work in general stand apart from the rest. The movie's undeniable wit combined with its unique and fresh perspective on the romantic comedy makes it a must see for all movie connoisseurs.
