ATM: Annie Hall

I get Woody Allen but don't see the appeal. I fell asleep three times trying to watch this.

I'm not much of a fan of Woody Allen, and I always assumed that's because he's been fading recently in terms of talent -- even many of his staunchest supporters couldn't bring themselves to endorse HOLLYWOOD ENDING (He makes a bad movie...and they love it in FRANCE! Stop, yer killing me! Those French sure do love stuff that sucks!). I think his stand-up is funny, in fact the scene in ANNIE HALL where he does stand-up is the funniest scene to me. As for the rest of the film, I imagine it was probably more ground-breaking when it came out. I appreciate the self-reflexive style, the way Woody inserts himself into flashbacks, gets random people to back-up the case he's making to us (the audience), and so forth, but I can't say it really makes me laugh.

Fundamentally, my problem is this: why should I care about a whiny nerd who doesn't have the balls to take any chances, yet somehow manages to date women way out of his league, only to totally screw up his relationships with them? And why is it funny when he digs up hoary old jokes like the Groucho Marx one about joining a club? Nowadays we call that "re-gifting." Or "postmodernism." I want to slap the guy and take the chicks he's driving away with his B.S.

It is fun to spot the brief early appearances by John Glover, Jeff Goldblum, and (in a slightly less brief role) Christopher Walken. Any movie with those three in should be gold, if only Woody weren't in it as well.

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