Manhattan

Name: Manhattan
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance
Released: March 14, 1979
Duration: 96 min
Rating: 83
Cast: Diane Keaton, Mariel Hemingway, Woody Allen

1979

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Universal acclaim based on 10 Critics

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 111 Ratings

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8.2

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8.2	User Score Universal acclaim based on 111 Ratings

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Manhattan

Movie Details & Credits

United Artists | Release Date: March 14, 1979

Starring: Diane Keaton, Mariel Hemingway, Woody Allen

Summary: Manhattan is an extraordinary and funny film that explores the embattled life and loves of a successful New York comedy writer. [MGM]

Director: Woody Allen

Genre(s): Drama, Comedy, Romance

Rating: R

Runtime: 96 min

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Awards & Rankings

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

TV Guide Magazine - Staff (Not Credited)

Deft comedy set in a neurotic town. People may argue about the relative merits of Annie Hall vis-a-vis Manhattan, which is a better and more fully realized film. By this time Allen had forsworn the glib one-liner and spent more time developing well-rounded characters. Read full review

100

ReelViews - James Berardinelli

If Manhattan was only a romantic comedy, it would be a very good one, but the fact that the movie has so much more ambition than the "average" entry into the genre makes it an extraordinary example of the fusion of entertainment and art. This is Allen in peak form, deftly mastering and combining the diverse threads of romance, drama, and comedy - and all against a black-and-white backdrop that makes us wonder why color is such a coveted characteristic in modern motion pictures. Read full review

100

Empire - David Parkinson

One of Woody's most aesthetically gorgeous films as well as his classic love-hate letter to the city of his soul. Read full review

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) - Jay Scott

Never before has Allen been able to integrate comedy and pathos as deftly as he does in Manhattan. [28 Apr 1979, p. 17]

Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert

this is a very good movie. Woody Allen is ... Woody, sublimely. Diane Keaton gives us a fresh and nicely edged New York intellectual. And Mariel Hemingway deserves some kind of special award for what's in some ways the most difficult role in the film. Read full review

Wall Street Journal - Julie Salamon

With his co-writer, Randy Sue Coburn, and composer Mark Isham, director Alan Rudolph has created a sense of time and place that authentically conveys what it might have been like when writers were celebrities and special effects came from words. [10 Jan 1995, p.A18]

Chicago Reader - Dave Kehr

The script is funny and observant, full of shocks of recognition, but for all his progress as a writer, Allen's direction remains disconcertingly amateurish. Still, it remains perhaps the only film in which Allen has been able to successfully imagine a personality other than his own. Read full review

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User Reviews

JMH

May 7, 2012

Allen's best film. Among the standouts of American cinema in the post-studio era. Virtually perfect. The film's lifted to extraordinary heights by, among other things, a brilliant screenplay, careful direction, spectacular cinematography, and amazing performances from (particularly) Allen,Allen's best film. Among the standouts of American cinema in the post-studio era. Virtually perfect. The film's lifted to extraordinary heights by, among other things, a brilliant screenplay, careful direction, spectacular cinematography, and amazing performances from (particularly) Allen, Keaton, and Hemingway. There's more beneath the (glittering) surface of "Manhattan" than any Allen film. At the center of it all is a captivating tension between romantic ideals -- the drive to satisfy them, and the hypocritical demand that others do the same -- and something of far less starry-eyed allure -- reality. This tension is achieved in multiple, varied ways within the film. From the disconnect between the impeccable look of the film and the messes played out by the characters on screen, to the contrast between one character's surprisingly precocious authenticity and the world of disingenuous posturing that infects the remaining characters. The question at the end of "Manhattan," when revelation may find reality triumphing over romanticism, and taking on a more enduring, humane, and compassionate value of its own, is whether enlightenment (if that's what is) has come too late.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

dollarsign

Nov 11, 2015

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0 of 0 users found this helpful00

van645

Jan 29, 2014

Manhattan is my favorite movie ever. Every aspect of the movie is spot on: the script, directing, acting, cinematography, etc. It stays grounded but still is dramatic and interesting.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

metalloidica

Jun 29, 2013

One of the best films I've seen on a Saturday afternoon. The ever-so esoteric Issac Davis runs into several conflicts with his expectations in life and provides us with both a humorous drama that has been appreciated for several decades. Woody Allen is simply phenomenal, both in his actingOne of the best films I've seen on a Saturday afternoon. The ever-so esoteric Issac Davis runs into several conflicts with his expectations in life and provides us with both a humorous drama that has been appreciated for several decades. Woody Allen is simply phenomenal, both in his acting and directional skills… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

CalumRhys

Jan 4, 2017

Woody Allen is arguably one of the finest screenwriters in the history of cinema, and whilst I respect him as both an actor and director, his writing ability is second to none. His way with words is uncanny, his confidence in crafting characters that reek of charisma, in providing a raw andWoody Allen is arguably one of the finest screenwriters in the history of cinema, and whilst I respect him as both an actor and director, his writing ability is second to none. His way with words is uncanny, his confidence in crafting characters that reek of charisma, in providing a raw and visceral study on the city and the people within. 'Manhattan' is just one stellar example of this, and whilst the film does trail off here and there into a depth of boredom, the witty and charismatic study present makes for a fantastic viewing experience.

"Chapter One. He was as tough and romantic as the city he loved. Behind his black- rimmed glasses was the coiled sexual power of a jungle cat." Opening to this enthralling monologue from the hands of Allen, we are instantly cast into a world that implements a raw and detailed look into a New York of yesteryear. Allen provides us with an intricate character study that addresses subjects like adultery, drug addiction and sexual prowess, whilst examining the effects on each individual and the city around them.

Each acting body present gives their utmost best in regards to performances with Allen and Keaton leading the way, each captured stunningly by utterly gorgeous black and white cinematography that captures the hustle and bustle of the city in elaborate detail. Whilst the film does thin towards the middle, the confident screenplay and witty humour make up for the minor flaws that exist, thus giving us one of the most self-assured films in cinema.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Spangle

Jun 23, 2015

Manhattan is a film that definitely stands the test of time. With great cinematography, great writing, and terrific performances from Diane Keaton and Mariel Hemingway, Manhattan is already ahead of most films of this kind. However, the reason that I did not love it to the level I expectedManhattan is a film that definitely stands the test of time. With great cinematography, great writing, and terrific performances from Diane Keaton and Mariel Hemingway, Manhattan is already ahead of most films of this kind. However, the reason that I did not love it to the level I expected that I would be due to a few things. For one, Woody Allen's character is whiny to the point of pure annoyance in this one. I do not remember him being this damn whiny in Annie Hall, which turned me off immediately. Second, it was neither as funny or as romantic as one would expect from a film of this kind. It was romantic and funny at times, but never to the level that it should have been. Finally, the plot is so damn creepy. A 42 year old man dating a 17 year old girl? Jesus, Woody Allen let's be a little more subtle please. Regardless, as I said, the writing, imagery, and acting, are all impeccable, which really alleviate most of my concerns, and the direction from Woody Allen is very good as well as it perfectly paced and told very well. Overall, Manhattan is a very good film that does not feel as though it came out in 1979.… Expand

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Broyax

Jan 10, 2017

Revoilà Droopy, revoilà Caliméro qui a repris quelques amphètes et/ou sniffé quelques rails et qui se met à soûler tout le monde, à blablater comme un détraqué, comme le pauvre gars névropathe qu'il est depuis toujours.

Il se prend pas pour de la merde le peigne-cul (il doit viser Cannes etRevoilà Droopy, revoilà Caliméro qui a repris quelques amphètes et/ou sniffé quelques rails et qui se met à soûler tout le monde, à blablater comme un détraqué, comme le pauvre gars névropathe qu'il est depuis toujours.

Il se prend pas pour de la merde le peigne-cul (il doit viser Cannes et son festival de balais dans le fondement -plusieurs à la fois) il tourne carrément en noir et blanc parce que le noir et blanc, c'est comme se racheter une conduite pour un taulard : on vous prend pour un "artiste". Forcément. Mais pourquoi le "noir et blanc" ? s'interroge Télérama. Vous croyez qu'il y a un message (caché) là-dessous ?

Le siphonné de la parlote Woody Woodpecker dans son inépuisable logorrhée déblatère que se taper une jeune plante de 17 balais, c'est -finalement- un bon plan et incontestablement plus sympa que de rester avec cette rombière de Diane Keaton, même si elle ne porte pas de soutif (une féministe...). De toute façon, on s'en fout, ce qui compte, c'est d'en parler avec ses amis, ses ex, ses futures, son public (Positif a adoré) et à sa ville de cubes en béton.

On sent que Caliméro Droopy n'a pas fini de nous faire chier : le pleurnichard binoclard est comme Terminator : impossible à arrêter. Et il ne la ferme jamais.… Expand

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