MANHATTAN (1979) A Film Review By Daniel Chodos Copyright Dan Chodos 1998
Woody Allen Diane Keaton Mariel Hemingway
Very few films can make you laugh and care about the characters at the same time, Woody Allen's "Manhattan" has both in spades. A brilliant tale of a contemporary neurotic in the romanticized world of Manhattan. The contrast is as clear cut as Gordon Willis's magnificent black and white cinematography. With Gershwin blasting in the background, we follow the life of would be writer Isaac (Allen) Davis as he and his friends clumsily bumble around each other trying to find the right key of happiness. The problem for Isaac and his pseudo-sophisticated friends is that they think they earned the answer to the secret to life because they can dissect art and drive convertibles. A healthy relationship however, still alludes them.
Allen is in rare form as he puts on the balancing act of his questionable career moves, underage (Hemingway) girlfriend, lesbian ex-wife (Streep), and a rendevous with his best (only?) friends mistress (Keaton). The plot is so seamless it almost seems unrehearsed, a tribute to Allen as he masters his insecurity shtick but never relies on it to get him through a scene. Isaac is dating 17 year old mature for her age Tracy, but recognizes his insecurities and refuses to commit to what she wants -- a serious relationship. Isaac pushes her away because subconsciously he wants to escape this kind of life. Very soon after that, his best friend, Michael, introduces him to his mistress Mary so he can go back and live happily ever after with his wife. The male characters essentially use each other to clear their collective conscious. But it doesn't work, it can't work, not in this world with these characters. Isaac almost knows to begin with that he can't be happy, but goes through the appearance of striving for it anyway. Mary, played so wonderfully by Diane Keaton is so insecure that she needs men like Isaac and Michael to justify her existence in the world of higher culture.
There's a famous scene in "Manhattan" with a still shot of the 59th street bridge. It's beautiful and perfect, almost too perfect to be used in a movie with characters so undeserving. As they take us through their daily routine of savvy dinners racquetball clubs and museums we begin to discover that there's less to admire about this kind of life and more to pity. The last scene would be painful to watch if it were in any other movie. Isaac pleads with Tracy to take him back as she's just about to board a plane to Europe. Does she take the plane and escape this world? It's an important question, and the fact that we care to know is what makes "Manhattan" one of the best films of all time.
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