#244 Annie Hall (Allen) at the Pacific Film Archive
If you can separate the art from the artist, this is a hell of a film. Woody Allen's first is often remembered for its jokes, style, and how credibly it portrays a relationship as it falls apart as a result of cultural incompatibility. Alvy’s Jewishness is central to how he experiences the world. Annie, a gentile woman from Chippewa Falls, Ohio, comes from a distinctly different place. The movie constantly contrasts their formative experiences: Annie's "Norman Rockwell" childhood and presents from "Grammy" versus Alvy’s grandmother who "never gave gifts. She was too busy getting raped by Cossacks." The jokes land because they’re sharp, but also because they expose a real divide. Annie Hall (1977) is a film about the exhaustion of having to translate yourself to the person you love. Alvy’s narrates the failure of their relationship. Throughout the film, Annie grows --- artistically, emotionally, stylistically --- while Alvy largely remains the same...