Annie Hall: Love fades

World cinema is the flavour of life currently. Searching, listing and downloading some of the timeless classics from Apaclypto Now, 2001 A Space Odyssey, A Streetcar Named Desire, Who Killed Virginia Woolf and many more to watch still. This weekend I watched Woody Allen's most acclaimed Annie Hall winning four Academy Awards. 

The movie was quirky and real with both comedy and drama the way a Woody Allen film is. I especially like the storytelling style if Woody. He takes you in dissects each scene or situation part by part, taking you to past and future and back to present, moves out of fiction and enters real world, characters become narrators, their thoughts in the background, strangers and background extras suddenly speak profound and deep statements clarifying the actors doubts, imagination and reality mixes leaving you on the edge of your seat as the comedy drama keeps you hooked and booked. 

But mostly I love the conversations in and about Woody's films. His movies are nothing but a string if conversations which come together as a string of events, most of the characters from the dumb to the intellectuals make some amazing conversations. Probably that's what appeals to a Woody fan. The characters in the film are mostly middle class artistic kinds, confused about life and love and discuss these in the melodramatic yet funny way without a tinge of tragedy or tears. 

The film is summarised best by a lady on the sidewalk to whom he talks, "It's never something you do. That's how people are. Love fades." Well after the initial excitement it's important to keep the fire burning, because there are no longer family ties or liabilities of children to keep you busy and together. Falling in love is easy but staying in love is not and love hurts no matter what, wether you love less or more. When a relationship fails one tries to list the reasons to close the loop and pack it away, but when you can't find the reasons then it keeps coming back to haunt you. 

Woody has this nervous energy clearly across the line of eccentricity and Diane Keaton with her androgynous clothing and simplicity with their male and female versions of shrink sessions are perfect for the roles. 70s NY and LA locales and sensibilities are captured well and it sure is one of those timeless romantic classics where you don't have a happy ending but then this is how life is.