“I think people should mate for life, like pigeons or Catholics.”

Participating for the current LAMB Director’s Chair, I thought I’d check out one of Woody Allen’s movie that is in the Top 250 IMDB, Manhattan (1979). I hadn’t notice it before, but the movie was purposedly colored in black and white, made it to be a little different than others. I personally love black and whites, they make images to be a lot more classier and artsy. So it does with Manhattan.

It starts with some lovely scenery of New York in that time, then it goes to the leading character, Isaac (Woody Allen), Tracy (Mariel Hemingway), Yale (Michael Murphy) and Emily (Anne Byrne Hoffman) hanging out in a restaurant. 42 years old Isaac is in a relationship with Tracy who only is 17. Yale, Isaac bestfriend tells him that he is in love with another woman, Mary (Diane Keaton) other than Emily, his wife. When Isaac met Mary, he hates her opposite opinions from him, but later found himself attracted to her. Meanwhile, Isaac’s second ex-wife, Jill (Meryl Streep) is going to publish her failed relationship with Isaac in a book, which Isaac protests but she ignored him. The story continues with love triangle between Isaac, Mary and Yale, while Tracy who is still in love with Isaac have to go to London to study art.
  I begin to see a little pattern from the director which is a series of a beautiful views from a city to start a movie. Midnight In Paris starts like Manhattan, with the leading character also is fascinated with the city. And from a few of Woody Allen’s movie I’ve seen, this is yet another movie about relationships and exchanging partners. Though I must admit, the main thing that made me dislikes his movies, is the point where he made a story about exchanging spouse much simple like exchanging stuffs, only with feeling involved. And it makes it far more complicated.

Repeating what they have in Annie Hall, Keaton and Allen does have a great chemistry, where they could have a natural conversation and could talk for hours. Honestly, there were parts where I hope they could stop talking and just took action instead. They could naturally portray two people who could openly express their feelings and confusions to each other.
  Seeing a 40 years old get involved in a relationship with a 17 years old is uncommon and let’s face it, bizarre. Manhattan points that age is only a number, not only for a couple but also for a level of maturity. A person could be older than you, but his choices determine his maturity.

Isaac’s character thankfully is reasonable and logic, where he doesn’t put Tracy in a string and he is prepared for Tracy to leave him for her future or for a younger handsome man. I like that Isaac (as many of Allen’s leading man character) thinks and talks a lot but Tracy is more simple and calmer than him, which make them compatible in a way. My favorite line is Tracy’s dialogue in the last scene to Isaac, it surprised me somehow.
  Though Meryl Streep only appear in few scenes, she contributed a great performance as a woman who loathes her ex-husband. Other actors like Michael Murphy and Anne Byrne Hoffman also gave a good performance. My favorite would be Mariel Hemingway as innocent Tracy.

Marshall Brickman also written the story with Woody Allen, repeating their success in Annie Hall. It is a good and light romantic comedy, but I must say I have seen other better rom coms and it wasn’t the best Woody Allen I’ve seen. My view on it was uplifted with a surprising line from the youngest character in the movie. Aside from the lovely views, I also noticed the blazers Mary wore, now back in style

Click here to see the trailer.

Movie Score :

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1. The Graduate (1967)