Manhattan

I think this could be the prettiest movie I’ve ever looked at. There isn’t a moment of dull visuals in the entire film, and I wish that that were all I loved about it so that I wouldn’t have to talk about a real life creep writing about dating a 17 year old but it’s difficult to do when I think the film so often is so honest about Allen’s flaws and don’t think it’s in the game of promoting a relationship like that. The writing is sharp, and funny and witty and so often so human and real that you can’t help but love every word. Like Annie Hall this could be one of the best screenplays I’ve ever watched put to film, and it’s paired by so many of my favorite visuals ever put to film. Every other review here says it’s a beautiful movie about awful people; they’re right, but i do think simplifying it to that level kinda defeats the point of the film, which I think is to show all this awful petty conflict and remind us, like Yale reminds Isaac in their final argument: “We’re just human beings y’know.” That doesn’t make bad things okay, but it explains so much why we do bad things in the first place. That last scene in the film is brilliant. Allen does this little thing with his face I think is genius acting; the entire run beforehand and conversation during you’re talking to the screen angry at Isaac for trying to derail this girl’s life, and it doesn’t end in this triumphant refusal by Tracy, but a rejection by pure circumstance: if he’d been a week earlier she’d have listened; it’s pure, young, human naivety, and I think it’s genius.