It's a shame that we live in a decade where the phrase romantic comedy (nauseatingly abbreviated “rom-com”) almost invariably equals crappy movie. Isn't that right SJP, Kate Hudson, Matthew McConaughey, and (I hate to say it, because I always thought that of all current famous people, he and I could be friends, but? Paul Rudd?
It wasn't always so. Some of the most dynamic films of the '40s are romantic comedies, written with rapid-fire banter like the Philadelphia Story and Bringing up Baby; later came charmers like Houseboat and The Graduate. But it wasn't until the late '70s rolled around that the genre reached its pinnacle with Woody Allen's deservedly lauded (hush up, Star Wars fans) Annie Hall.
Diane Keaton is quirky, funny and sublime; Woody Allen is by far at his most charming and (no surprise) Christopher Walken plays an unforgettable weirdo.
Many of you have probably seen it, but it's always good for a re-watch. Trust me, something new or forgotten turns up with each repeat viewing–but I also know lots of you maybe haven't seen it, and that needs to be corrected as soon as possible. Be ready to fall in love. The script is inventive and witty and it has the best last line for a romantic in any movie, ever, the joke about eggs.
It's especially moving in its obvious adulation for NYC, with picture perfect iconic scenes under the Brooklyn Bridge and in Central Park.
It's also a part of my own personal NYC history. My parents had these friends that ran a gallery together and lived in an over-the -op apartment lathered in puppies, giant perfume bottles and drag photos of themselves. It was above Barney's and they had a mini movie theater inside. I was in heaven, and allowed to choose the movie we were to watch. I picked this one.
But what do you think?