025 - Annie Hall (1977)

DVD Box

Alvy Singer (Woody Allen) is a pessimist. As one of New York's best comedians, he attachs his glum outlook on life to his jokes, leading the audience to rapturous applause with his dark humour. He has been seeing a therapist for 15 years, has been unable to open up, preferring to stay introvert and rational.

Theatrical Poster

Following a tennis game he is introduced to Annie Hall (Diane Keaton), a bar singer with confidence issues. They immediately hit it off in an awkward moment, and despite falling in love quickly neither are about to tell each other about their true feelings.

The film follows Alvy and Annie's relationship, from one breakup and reconciliation to Annie's departure to California. As Alvy's comfort zone is stretched, his insecurities side attempts to understand and psychoanalyse the only thing in life that can't be understood - love.


Allen, directing and starring, gets this point across beautifully in a variety of methods, from cut scenes and subtitles and flashbacks and scenes with both the past and present versions of a character.

Although in places it can feel confusing and lost, Annie Hall is a wonderfully clever film, and if stick with it and you'll soon learn that not everything has to have purpose to be beautiful.

• Empire Review
• Internet Movie Database
• Wikipedia
• Amazon