Coorabell Hall Film Club
Wednesday 3 December

Annie Hall

Let’s celebrate Diane Keaton !!
Wear your best Annie Hall or Diane Keaton big belt.

(Or just enjoy the movie!)

Food & drinks (Licensed) from 6.00PM
Movie starts at 7.30PM

Anni
Annie Hall revolutionised the romantic comedy genre by infusing it with innovative storytelling techniques, emotional realism, and an honest exploration of relationships. Instead of a perfect fairytale romance, it dissected why a seemingly perfect relationship falls apart, winning 5 Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress and Best Actor.

The film moves beyond a linear plot to reflect how people recall relationships using flashbacks and breaking the fourth wall. Woody Allen’s Alvy's direct addresses to us and the use of split screens and "inner thought subtitles" create an intimate, introspective feel that was novel for a mainstream comedy.

Alvy and Annie's relationship, based partly on the real-life romance between Woody and Diane Keaton (real name Hall), feels natural and unforced. The actors' genuine chemistry is a key ingredient, turning their awkward first meetings and heated arguments into something both funny and poignant.

Annie Hall really is a romantic comedic masterpiece that still stands as one of the greatest works of the genre. Allen’s writing is sublime, with lashings of wit, self-deprecation, and deft commentary on the complications love and romance can often bring. His directorial style is glorious, and he fills his masterpiece with an enormously layered narrative which allows for great arcs for both his lead characters. This elevates the rom-com genre from pure escapism to a thoughtful, sophisticated comedy using its characters' vastly different backgrounds – Alvy's neurotic, Jewish New York intellectual versus Annie's Midwestern, free-spirited nature – to explore the challenges of navigating different worlds and values within a relationship.

The influence of Annie Hall can be seen in countless films and television shows that followed, from When Harry Met Sally... to Seinfeld. It established a format for smart, dialogue-driven comedies that were both hilarious and emotionally resonant.