Manhattan Review
Woody_Allen's valentine/ode to the city captures New York at its most iconic, framing its skyscrapers and other landmarks with lavish care and setting its pace to the rhythm of George_Gershwin's melodies. In addition to being Allen's most visually striking film (thanks in large part to Gordon_Willis' gorgeous black-and-white photography), Manhattan is also one of his most satisfying, considered by many his greatest achievement. A deeply funny exploration of love, guilt, and everything in-between, the film matches its humor with poignancy. Rather than provide caricatures of urban professionals who think too much for their own good, Allen gives us full-blooded individuals whose anxiety is matched only by their complexity. Even the most incidental, unseen characters, such as Mary's psychiatrist (who telephones her at 3 a.m., weeping) have a rare vibrancy and dimensions all their own. Many critics who reviewed Manhattan at the time of its release remarked that it reflected Allen's growth as a filmmaker, providing a more compassionate, clear-eyed exploration of themes that he had examined in Interiors and Annie_Hall, his two previous efforts. Manhattan effectively promoted Allen to the upper echelons of the director/screenwriter realm; a triumphant synthesis of old-fashioned style and modern sensibility, it defined both a director and a genre, setting new standards for the urban comedy. Rebecca Flint Marx, Rovi
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