Manhattan

I had forgotten what perfect pitch Woody Allen brought to 'Manhattan'—how its tone and timing slip so gracefully between comedy and romance. Seeing it again I realize it's more subtle, more complex, and not about love, but loss.

The relationships aren't really the point of the movie: It's more about what people say during relationships -- or, to put it more bluntly, it's about how people lie by technically telling the truth.

Manhattan is Allen in peak form, deftly mastering and combining the diverse threads of romance, drama, and comedy—all against a black-and-white backdrop that makes us wonder why color is such a coveted characteristic in modern motion pictures.

After the somberness of Interiors, Woody Allen has returned to the romantic comedy style of Annie Hall. The result is his most lyrical and emotional film to date. Although it may not be as complex as Annie Hall, Manhattan is a magnificent film, subtle both in expression and in feeling. It proves that Allen’s genius is still growing and capable of fertile surprises.

"A bittersweet, intellectually stimulating romantic comedy exploring profound themes of human frailty, fear, and self-delusion."

The majestic panoramas that fill the screen in those entrancing opening minutes of Manhattan, rendered even more beautiful and alluring by the music that accompanies them (Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue), are enough to convince you that New York City is the most wondrous place on Earth.

Of course, the film will also do nothing to dispel the popular rumour that New Yorkers are neurotic, self-obsessed and self-indulgent – at least that narrow social circle Allen so often writes about.

One of Woody Allen's early classics, Manhattan combines modern, bittersweet humor and timeless romanticism with unerring grace.