Hannah and Her Sisters
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Movie Reviews of Hannah and Her Sisters
Movie Review: "I don't know what is it about you that closes and opens..."
Summary: 5 Stars
"I don't know what is it about you, that closes and opens...
(... only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses).
Nobody, not even the rain, has such small hands."
The magnificent E.E. Cummings' poem serves as a leit-motiv behind a true cinema masterpiece: "Hannah and her sisters". The story takes place during the period on one year, in between two family Thanksgiving celebrations. Elliott (Michael Caine) is a respectable accountant, married to Hannah (Mia Farrow). Everything seems to be ok but secretly, Elliott has succumbed to a hopeless obsession with his wife's sister, Lee (Barbara Hershey). On the other hand, Lee is trapped in a relationship, once new and vivacious with Frederick (Max von Sidow), but unfortunately it is just obvious that this is a couplehood that has already started the unstoppable slide down the path of coldness.
There are several layers of interrelationships among characters in the movie. Filial love, romantic love, platonic love, passionate love, sisters' love... and is just beautiful to see how the story progressively unfolds (or entangles itself) in a myriad of feelings and conflicts. Allen's magic works itself out and manages to convey a strong message while viewers end up witnessing how despite all chaotic (or just plain human) tendencies within each and every character, there is something that ends up binding them together. Whether you call it Family, or call it Friendship, or call it Love, or call it Faith, or call it Hope, or even call it Habit. And in the midst of all this, the calm peace that stays within and around Hannah (Mia Farrow) no matter what.
The movie is filled up with outstanding performances. Barbara Hershey, Michael Caine, Dianne Wiest, Carrie Fisher, Maureen O'Sullivan (who magnificently plays Hannah's mother) and Woody Allen's himself as Hannah's former husband, the hypochondriac, manic-depressive Mickey.
The result is an incredibly beautifully-told fable that patches together a series of mini stories to form a stunning canvas of human nature. And underneath it all the magnificent everpresent soothing Jazz... masterfully chosen by genius Woody Allen. Pieces like "I am in love again", "Stardust" and the beautiful "I think I've heard that song before" or "You made me love you (though I didn't wanted to)" both of them, magnificently performed by Harry James and his Orchestra, provide the perfect background to a multidimensional movie. This film is to me like a kaleidoscope. Every time I see it, the combination of tiny colored glass pieces surprises me some more, forming different figures and different perspectives each and every time. To the date, still to me, it is one of Allen's very best.
Movie Review: One of Woody Allen's Best
Summary: 5 Stars
Considered by many to be Woody Allen's best film, "Hannah and Her Sisters" is not my favorite Woody Allen movie but it is my 2nd. The film won 3 Academy Awards for Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Michael Caine), and Best Supporting Actress (Dianne Weist)...And, yes, these awards were well deserved. "Hannah and Her Sisters" have all the elements that combine to make a great Woody Allen film. It's funny, dramatic, filled with great dialogue and great performances...It's truly one of his finest artistic achievements that people who despise Allen might like if they opened up their minds a bit. Mia Farrow plays Hannah, who is seemingly the backbone of her family, especially her two sisters Lee (Barbara Hershey) and Holly (Weist). rom an outsider's perspective it looks like Hannah is leading a perfect life. She's got four children, a husband Elliot (Caine), and is always helping out her sister's in time of need. hat she doesn't know is that her marriage to Elliot is slowly crumbling, as he has fallen in love with Lee. Meanwhile, there's Mickey (Allen) Hannah's ex-husband, a hypochondriac TV producer who fears that there might actually be something wrong with him. As Lee accepts that Elliot is in love with her and tries to move away from her much-older boyfriend (Max Von Sydow), Holly, an ex-drug addict, attempts to get her love life on track. She briefly falls for an architect, only to have him stolen away by a "friend" (Carrie Fisher). This movie features one of my favorite Woody Allen-lines..."I don't know if you remember me. We shared the worst night of my life together." His dialogue is truly in top form here and for a director known for getting great performances by marquee names, "Hannah and Her Sisters" has some of the best. Weist and Caine deserved their Oscars without a doubt, but also worthy of acting nominations would be Farrow, Allen, and even Daniel Stern who makes a brief, but memorable, performance. "Hannah and Her Sisters" is a great film, but it's not a perfect one. I thought that it started off a little slow and didn't really get going until about 20 minutes in, but after that I was hooked. This film has what ranks in my mind as one of the best endings of a Woody Allen movie ever...This is a rare moment in movies that can actually improve upon everything you've just seen. I urge you, whether you're a fan of Woody Allen or hate him, to see this. This is a great film; you will laugh, you will cry...A terrific film on all levels.
GRADE: A
Movie Review: After Annie Hall, possibly best Woody
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a self-proclaimed Woody Allen fan but even for those of you who do not take to his exaggeratedly stammering, quivering, uber-NY personality ...this is a must see-movie. There is much lesser of the typical Woody you are used to -- the neurotic vocal tics, the dry white whine -- and a lot more of story in this movie than others I have seen of him. This is also NOT your archetypic semi-comic semi-profound study of contemporary relationships (e.g., Manhattan, Crimes & misdemeanors etc) in terms of stylistic treatment, which is quite refreshing.I hesitate to regurgitate the script as other reviews have done so already, but I can bet you'll leave with several enduring scenes from the movie, including one where Micky (Woody's character) ends up in a movie house watching the Marx Brothers and realising the value of life, or the depiction of his hypochondria (a trait not uncommon among most urban city denizens, esp. New Yorkers). Other brilliant moments emerge when Mickey vows to convert to a religion that provides him the answers to life's big questions such as "what am I doing here?". So he wavers through a wide range of options from catholicism (much to the chagrin of Jewish parents and his interludes with his father are hilarious) to Hare Krishas dancing in parks and airports (which he decides to give up for fears of handing out flowers with a shaved head).
The acting all-round is superlative and as others would confirm this is one flick where you'll get to see a Michael Caine behind the cold British veneer that he is typically associated with otherwise. His promiscuity between two women is outstandingly potrayed.
Most people familiar with Woody Allen would still rate Annie Hall as the pinnacle of Woody, or Manhattan as his most iconoclastic, but this is a charming, funny, deep and entertaining film and a close second/third to Annie. Highly recommended.
(And contrary to some reviewers, I absolutely love the ending. Why should every story have a feel-goody ending?)
Movie Review: Hanna,Sisters......and so much more!
Summary: 5 Stars
After reading other reviews of this wonderful film I doubt I could add much to what has already been stated. Given that I still enjoy this film so much that I'll shall add my "two cents" anyway! For me this is by far and away Woody Allen's best film. Every autumn I make a point of renting this classic and inviting over some unsuspecting friends to watch it for the first time. I can honestly say not one has ever come away disappointed! But how could you? Somehow Woody has taken the autumn months, the holiday celebrations and his wonderful choice of jazz standards and effortlessly weaved them into one magical film. While at the times being sentimental, comedic and yet also incredibly heartwrenching in our search for true happiness in our small lives Woody has reached the small understanding that to find that illusive "happiness" one just needs to look around . It's right in front of you.
The cast is of course first-rate...the stand-outs being Michael Caine as Hannah's beleagered husband, Mia Farrow as Hannah herself and of course Woody, simply being himself and adding the comedic touch to his own film. For that matter everyone in this film is wonderful and for the most part all are given a chance to shine...and they do so admirably!Special kudos to Max Von Sydow as a judgemental, overly-critical boyfriend to Barbara Hershey who in the end is the only one who is unable to find any real happiness.
Overall, a film that manages to intertwine all of Woody's impracticalties together and even bring a ultimately "happy ending" to the proceedings! And while I don't make a point of buying movies I suspect this will be my first DVD purchase. Along with "Manhattan" and "Annie Hall" the trifecta of Woody's films. ENJOY!!
Movie Review: High Art.
Summary: 5 Stars
I've written a few reviews of Woody's work thus far and have already proclaimed "Husbands and Wives" to be his masterpiece, but it's difficult to place this movie very far behind it. The acting is superb with Michael Caine being the outstanding member of the cast. Dianne Wiest won an Oscar for her role as Holly and it was well-deserved. There's practically no one or anything that is not exceptional in this production.
Allen's atheism, or at least agnosticism, is on full display as his character attempts to make sense of our fleeting terrestrial existence by embracing whatever religion will have him (he even makes a feign towards Krishna) but ultimately he decides, that while no religion is worth his time, life on this earth is absolutely worth living. The Deus Ex Machina, as it were, is his trip to a NYC theatre where he sees a Marx Brothers movie. How can he leave a world that features Groucho? He decides that he cannot. Even though I do not personally agree with his dismissal of religion, I value his affirmation of life in general.
As always with Allen, romance figures heavily and indefatigably in the plot. I won't reveal any twists of the story as it may be that the reader has not yet seen it. One of them, in particular, will surprise you. With Allen, his best films always feature comic overtones and this one is no exception. Top to bottom, "Hannah and his Sisters" is superb.
Lastly, allow me to recommend to you additionally the soundtrack because it features not only brilliant jazz but Mozart as well. Every nuance of this film, even down to the background music, is well-crafted.