Reviews of Hannah and Her Sisters
Displaying all 3 reviews
F.B. Elliott
26Jun10
Although in my Woody Allen Films list I place this movie in the third position after Annie Hall and Crimes and Misdemeanors, unquestionably, this is one of his finest works. We are thrown into our faces, once again, the ugliness of life, which is full of lies, doubts, remorse, sorrow and unreached goals.
“Hanna and her sisters” tells the intertwined stories of three sisters from a family of artists, Hanna (Farrow), Lee (Hershey) and Holly (Weist), their relationship with each other, their respective love relationships and the relationship with their parents. On the one hand, Hanna was married to Mickey (Allen), a hypochondriac man that runs a TV show, but now she’s married to Elliot (Caine), who is secretly in love with Lee, who lives with a man she no longer loves and who actually finds boring, Frederick, a reclusive artist whose knowledge and wisdom lured her at first. On the other hand, there’s Holly, a cocaine-addicted whose life is a complete failure. She can’t find a singular regular job, is always asking for money and has no boyfriend. Holly is very different from her sisters.
Through this story, Woody Allen shows us again how we spent our lives regretting that we should have done something when we had the chance. We feel miserable and lonely because we lack of determination to finally aim a target and reach it. Life ends up to quickly and we realize that we’ve done nothing but regret about the past.
In this case, Woody presents us his pessimistic but reflective view of life through a much more complex treatment of human relation-ships. Many different characters with their respective personalities appear in “Hanna and her sisters”. Because of this, I wouldn’t say this is his best movie, but I would say that is the most admirable one and, in my opinion, the hardest one to achieve.
With some help from a dreamed ensemble, Woody creates this master piece in which he combines images with intelligent and deep dialogues and passionate music.
A very solid five-star movie.
- Currently 5.0/5 Stars.
Eric Osborn
16Jun09
I love how Allen touches on so many subjects here: love and relationships, family and friendship, mortality and religion and philosophy. So often during his films, I get the urge to jot down a line or idea from the movie and that was certainly true here. I particularly enjoyed Allen’s crisis of faith and of life – his epiphany at the film’s conclusion was actually very moving for me. Great performances from all three women, as well as Michael Caine. Oh and yes, it’s pretty funny too.
- Currently 5.0/5 Stars.
Todd Kushigemachi
24May09
(Originally written November 22, 2006)
Hannah and Her Sisters is Woody Allen’s second best film only behind his 1979 opus Manhattan. These are two films that become more beautiful with repeated viewings. The script is well-crafted with Allen able to give some of his most realistic characterizations within his most tightly-knit construction. The jazz perfectly sets the tone for the film, particularly the recurring theme of “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered.” It’s a story about finding beauty and hope in the world without ever becoming too heavy-handed. It’s a quiet film that shows how three sisters can find their lives mixed up in such a complex network of relationships. Michael Caine’s performance as a man longing for the love of his wife’s sister is a believable portrait of a man being pulled between desire and reason. Woody Allen is hysterical in the film, and the film shows the parallels between the lives of both of these men trying to find some type of meaning and, ultimately, realizing that there is something to hope for. The way the different stories are about to shift between each other while still maintaining a sense of cohesion is further proof that Woody Allen can write a brilliant script. The compositions are beautiful, simple in the way characters are framed, but the contrast between light and dark is able to give this film a distinct visual style. The characters are often given able to breathe in the frame, and it makes sense that the cinematographer is the same man responsible for Blow-Up. These are both films that are engaging regardless of the fact that there is not much action taking place. The cinematography brings out the best of the writing and nuanced performances in both of the films, and, more so than impressing the audience with magnificent shots, that is the job of the cinematographer.
- Currently 5.0/5 Stars.