{"id":5188,"date":"2008-01-27T12:48:33","date_gmt":"2008-01-27T19:48:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=5188"},"modified":"2023-09-25T13:38:39","modified_gmt":"2023-09-25T20:38:39","slug":"manhattan-1979","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=5188","title":{"rendered":"Manhattan (1979)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;Chapter one: He was as tough and romantic as the city he loved.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Poster-1.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Poster-1-194x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"194\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-63172\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Poster-1-194x300.jpg 194w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Poster-1-83x128.jpg 83w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Poster-1-174x270.jpg 174w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Poster-1.jpg 397w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 194px) 100vw, 194px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA divorced writer (Woody Allen) dating a mature high schooler (Mariel Hemingway) finds himself smitten by the pseudo-pretentious lover (Diane Keaton) of his married best friend (Michael Murphy).\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Diane Keaton Films<\/li>\n<li>Infidelity<\/li>\n<li>May-December Romance<\/li>\n<li>Meryl Streep Films<\/li>\n<li>Michael Murphy Films<\/li>\n<li>New York City<\/li>\n<li>Romantic Comedy<\/li>\n<li>Woody Allen Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary&#8217;s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary admits that <em>Manhattan<\/em> &#8212; which he labels &#8220;perceptive, witty, [and] masterful&#8221; &#8212; is his &#8220;favorite Woody Allen film&#8221;; while I can&#8217;t quite agree, there&#8217;s no mistaking its status as one of Allen&#8217;s finest explorations of New Yorkers&#8217; &#8220;insecurities, phobias, [and] quirkiness&#8221;. Reviewers at the time (including Peary) were clearly impressed by evidence of Allen&#8217;s &#8220;growing maturity&#8230; as a filmmaker&#8221;, with Peary himself noting that Allen finally allows his alter-ego character to be &#8220;mean to someone&#8221;, &#8220;unfair&#8221;, and &#8220;not the victim&#8221;. Ironically, however, this brutal honesty is exactly what makes <em>Manhattan<\/em> somewhat unpleasant to watch, given that we can clearly see the mistake Isaac (Allen) is making in breaking up with his &#8220;sweet, mature&#8221; girlfriend (Mariel Hemingway) who &#8220;loves him dearly&#8221; &#8212; if, that is, we&#8217;ve gotten over our initial discomfort at their enormous age discrepancy (and stopped wondering why Hemingway&#8217;s parents never appear on the scene to have a say in the matter). Diane Keaton is perfectly cast as the elusive object of Allen&#8217;s affections, but unlike in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=26700\"><em>Annie Hall<\/em> (1977)<\/a>, her character here is ultimately too annoying to enjoy. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Keaton.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Keaton-1024x445.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"278\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-63175\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Keaton-1024x445.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Keaton-300x130.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Keaton-128x56.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Keaton-768x333.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Keaton-1536x667.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Keaton-604x262.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Keaton.png 1813w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>My favorite scenes &#8212; other than those which simply showcase Gordon Willis&#8217; gorgeous shots of Manhattan &#8212; are those in which Allen interacts with his ex-wife, Meryl Streep, whose hyper-kinetic movement (she never stays still) reveals her intense discomfort at being around Allen even for a few minutes. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A truly heartfelt homage to New York City<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-NYC.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-NYC-1024x450.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"281\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-63176\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-NYC-1024x450.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-NYC-300x132.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-NYC-128x56.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-NYC-768x338.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-NYC-1536x675.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-NYC-604x265.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-NYC.png 1827w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a>\n<\/li>\n<li>Mariel Hemingway as Tracy<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Hemingway.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Hemingway-1024x440.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"275\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-63174\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Hemingway-1024x440.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Hemingway-300x129.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Hemingway-128x55.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Hemingway-768x330.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Hemingway-1536x660.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Hemingway-604x260.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Hemingway.png 1827w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Meryl Streep as Allen&#8217;s bitter ex-wife<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Streep.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Streep-1024x439.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"274\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-63178\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Streep-1024x439.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Streep-300x129.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Streep-128x55.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Streep-768x329.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Streep-1536x658.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Streep-604x259.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Streep.png 1837w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Gordon Willis&#8217;s stunning cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Cinematography5.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Cinematography5-1024x440.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"275\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-63177\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Cinematography5-1024x440.png 1024w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Cinematography5-300x129.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Cinematography5-128x55.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Cinematography5-768x330.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Cinematography5-1536x660.png 1536w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Cinematography5-604x260.png 604w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/01\/Manhattan-Cinematography5.png 1807w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>The lyrical Gershwin score<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as one of Allen&#8217;s early masterpieces. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Important Director<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> (<span style=\"color:red;font-weight:bold;\">Listed in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-static\/1001Movies.htm\"><em>1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die<\/em><\/a><\/span>) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/imdb.com\/title\/tt0079522\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rogerebert.com\/reviews\/great-movie-manhattan-1979\">Roger Ebert&#8217;s Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.tvguide.com\/movies\/manhattan\/review\/105583\">TV Guide Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/19294\/manhattan#articles-reviews?articleId=88749\">TCM Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.timeout.com\/movies\/manhattan\">Time Out Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Chapter one: He was as tough and romantic as the city he loved.&#8221; Synopsis: A divorced writer (Woody Allen) dating a mature high schooler (Mariel Hemingway) finds himself smitten by the pseudo-pretentious lover (Diane Keaton) of his married best friend (Michael Murphy). Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Diane Keaton Films Infidelity May-December Romance Meryl Streep Films Michael Murphy Films New York City Romantic Comedy Woody Allen Films Response to Peary&#8217;s Review: Peary admits that Manhattan &#8212; which he labels &#8220;perceptive,&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=5188\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5188","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5188","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5188"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5188\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":92080,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5188\/revisions\/92080"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5188"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5188"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5188"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}