Manhattan Murder Mystery | | Cast : | Woody Allen, Diane Keaton | | Director : | Woody Allen | | Studio : | Columbia/Tristar Studios | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen | | Released Date : | August 18, 1993 | | DVD Released Date : | December 15, 1998 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), French (Dubbed), French (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | PG (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | June 07, 2005 | | Summary | re: probably the last great Woody Allen movie | Content
 | This really is a classic Woody Allen movie. Why? First, the chemistry between Woody and Diane Keaton is extraordinary. Second, the writing is impeccable. Third, it is nice to Woody with a woman his age rather than a woman in her early 20s. There is a great supporting cast as well, particularly Alan Alda and Anjelica Huston. |
| Rating | | | Date | April 20, 2005 | | Summary | Lightweight and pleasant suspense spoof | Content
| "Manhattan Murder Mystery" is one of Woody Allen's most pleasurable recent films. Reunited once again with Diane Keaton, Woody Allen plays a typical Manhattan milquetoast whose somewhat kooky wife is obsessed with the idea that an elderly neighbor might be a murderer. Complicating the plot somewhat are the strains that Woody and Diane's characters feel on their longime marriage. Woody's character is pursued by author Marcia Fox (Anjelica Huston), and Diane's character is pursued by recently divorced friend Ted (Alan Alda); it's clear that much of the magic has gone out of this marriage and perhaps it is coming to an ending.
As expected in a Woody Allen film made before his decline into schtick and slapstick, all the leads are exceptionally good. As a director, Allen has a special skill for capturing the speech rhythms of a certain generation and class of New Yorkers. More than one reviewer has correctly commented that Woody and Diane's characters could almost be the same characters they played in "Annie Hall" nearly 20 years earlier, so skilled is their interplay. Huston is typically brilliant, and it's a pleasure to watch Alan Alda play a somewhat sleazier character than he was allowed to as Hawkeye Pierce on "MASH."
For all its strong points, however, the bulk of this film is as forgettable as the lightweight Made-for-TV Mysteries that clog the cable airwaves. There's little real suspense here, and Woody's homages to classic thrillers are far too subtle to have any real impact. Unlike, say, Mel Brooks' "High Anxiety," it's hard to say what exactly Woody is trying to accomplish with his homages. Considering that the movie is set in modern day Manhattan (which has a relatively high murder rate), Woody and Diane's updated Nancy Drew routine seems somewhat out-of-place.
The real mystery here is why actor Ron Rifkin is so criminally underused in this film. Rifkin's capable of extreme creepiness (as anyone who's seen him in "Alias" can attest) and could have given this film more if Woody had allowed him.
Rent this film if you are a fan of classic Woody Allen or lightweight old-fashioned mysteries. |
| Rating | | | Date | March 02, 2005 | | Summary | Woody Allen at his Best! | Content
| Woody Allen and Diane Keaton are a dynamic duo. They make every feeling that their characters are experiencing in this film super funny, whether it's complacency, jealousy, cowardness, curiosity, braveness, foolishness, etc. I enjoy watching this movie several times a year. |
| Rating | | | Date | December 04, 2004 | | Summary | A Murder, A Mystery And Woody Allen: The Perfect Mix | Content
| This movie was exelent! Anjelica Huston is my favorite actress and that's why I wached this movie. I thought 'Oh, gee. Another dumb murder mystery.' Until it got started. Then I was holding my breath through almost the entire thing! I love suspencefull movies; and this was one of 'em, let me tell ya. It wasn't only suspencefull, but funny. Woody Allen is a genios.
-An Anjelica Huston Fan |
|
