TOD:
"Hannah and Her Sisters" -- This is Woody at "perfection" level on all counts -- story, script, performers/performances, combination of humor/wit/drama, and on an equal level his music selection. Woody, Mia Farrow, Barbara Hershey, Dianne Wiest, Michael Caine, Maureen O'Sullivan, Lloyd Nolan, and all the other superb supporting cast are absolutely riveting throughout the film. I have many "favorite" scenes in this film, but my "most favorite" is Woody spying Dianne Wiest (Holly) in a record shop and going in to remind her of the worst date of his life. It's an amazing, very funny, beautiful scene.
"Manhattan" -- This is the finest valentine ever filmed to/for a city (or anything/anyone else). The Gordon Willis b/w cinematography is masterful, the Gershwin score is sublime and the story is very New York and very Woody (and not a little bit disturbing given Allen's romance with a teenager, wonderfully played by Mariel Hemingway at her most beautiful).
"Love and Death" -- Hilarious homage to Ingmar Bergman with some fantastic sight gags, silliness, mayhem and an hysterical "Death" giving Woody the sort of "ending" he obsesses upon in nearly all his personal films.
"The Purple Rose of Cairo" - Wonderful "little movie", filmed to perfection. Great central performance by Mia Farrow and wonderful conceit of movie character coming off the screen because a "real person" has seen the film so many times he just had to say something. This movie was a "gift" when it was released and always seems to be a "gift" upon repeat viewings.
"Annie Hall" -- I'm not the biggest fan of this film, although it IS wonderful and funny and kooky and brilliantly done. Woody has had better stories, but it's the central character and Woody's interactions with her that make the film work wonderfully.
