Hannah and Her Sisters

`Hannah and Her Sisters' by writer/director Woody Allen is certainly among the top five of Allen's best films, along with `Annie Hall', `Crimes and Misdemeanors', `Manhattan', and `Take the Money and Run'. It is certainly one of my favorites, although I think it is just a bit less tight than the later `Crimes and Misdemeanors' with which it shares a lot of themes and a similarly enormous cast of familiar faces.One of the most important similarities between the two movies is that there are two parallel, but connected plots and Allen's character is central to the lesser of the two plots, given as much to provide comic relief as to move the story onward. Also in both movies, Allen plays an only modestly successful entertainment business creative player who is not incompetent, but who is not doing well. Both `Hannah...' and `Crimes...' give Allen's character a major love interest and I am very pleased with the fact that `Hannah...' ends with a happy resolution to all the movie's issues. One can be certain that new crises will arise for these characters the day after the final scene, but at least for us, they are all in a good place. That sentence has unwittingly shown an important fact about this movie. We care for these characters. We may not be too concerned about the fate of Carrie Fisher, Max Von Sydow, Tony Roberts, Daniel Stern, Maureen O'Sullivan, Lloyd Nolan, or John Turturro who appear on the screen for just a few minutes. But, we really develop a strong interest in the fates of the characters played by Allen, Michael Caine, Mia Farrow, Barbara Hershey and Dianne Wiest. While Allen is simply playing his usual nebbish, I cannot for the life of me see how the Academy Awards singled out Wiest from the performances of Caine and Farrow, which I think are equally strong.Like all of Allen's movies since `Manhattan', the jokes are much better integrated into the story and they are much less predictable than the sight gag of Allen's pistol carved from a bar of soap turning into a handful of suds in the rain in `Take the Money and Run'. This makes them both more fun and droller, as when the very serious Max Von Sydow says he does not sell his paintings by the yard. Allen also continues to use wordless visual gags as when he empties a sack of Catholic religious items, finishing up with a loaf of Wonder bread and Hellman's mayonnaise.New York City plays almost as big a part in this movie as it does in `Manhattan', with the gimmick of an architect's showing off his favorite buildings as a way of giving us a tour of some of Manhattan's more attractive sights. Even the gritty Greenwich Village streets give up some of their charm as Caine chases down Barbara Hershey in order to bump into her with a rationale for her to show him to a nearby used book shop.We can also add this to the list of the many Allen movies where one or more characters, especially Allen's character, end up in a theatre watching a classic film. In this case, it's the Marx brothers in `Duck Soup', arguably one of their funniest.If you are not a rabid Woody Allen fan, I would recommend this movie above almost all others for purchase. Like all his films, there are virtually no special features, but the movie is longer than average and has one of his very best stories and very best collection of characters.

This film is a little hard to relate to because it's a very new york film and it's also very ✡️. So if you fit into one of those categories you would enjoy this film otherwise it's only for fans of chick flicks.

I really like Woody Allen's movies, and this one is probably my favorite. Great cast, great acting, wonderful New York City scenery, and a great story. What more could you ask for?

VERY WORDY WOMEN, SHEESH...

At the end of "Hannah and Her Sisters" the Woody Allen character summarizes the film. The delightful irony is that he is right, but not in the way you thought for most of the film. Of course, given the twists of fate that awaited Allen and Mia Farrow in the years following this film there are degrees of irony in viewing this film now, albeit not as profound as watching "Manhattan." What makes "Hannah and Her Sisters" Allen's best film is indeed the way things come together at the end in a surprising way. The truly sentimental conclusion is what puts it at the top of my personal Woody Allen list: you have to admit, you are stunned to find yourself weeping at the end of one of his movies.There are dramatic moments in this film-dramatic in terms of the consequences for the characters-that are the finest Allen has crafted. They are definitely superior to the forced effort in Allen's one "dramatic" effort, "Interiors." Being able to play in both ballparks, comedy and drama, has become something of a post-modern ideal, springing forth from television programs in the "dramedy" genre like "All in the Family" and "M*A*S*H." The non-Allen characters have more depth here than you usually find in his films, which is probably due as much to the consummate acting as the writing (since Allen often gives great improvisational leeway). Favorite small moments in this film: Allen's shopping bag of religious items and Max Von Sydow's riposte on the Nazis, not to mention the request for sperm and a special appearance by the Marx Brothers.On a personal note, there are scenes in this film that continue to stick out in my memory and the ending always brings a tear to my eyes, and I can not say similar things about "Platoon," which beat out this film for the Best Picture Oscar. I say this knowing full well that Allen was not going to win having already had success with "Annie Hall," but that was a period in time when the films I thought were deserving of the Oscar were getting beat by what I considered to be lesser works.

This is a Woody Allen classic from my era, but somehow I never saw it. Voila, 37 years later up it pops for FREE with Amazon Prime. Thank you Mr. Bezos. It's interesting that of the main stars, many are still alive and some have passed but it appears that Diane Wiest is most recently actively working (2021 HBO max "Let Them All Talk"). She won an Academy Award for her "Hannah et al" for her performance as Holly. It was no surprise as she was the most engaging and showed great range in Hannah & Her Sisters. The movie has a 1980s pace; somewhat slower than today's fare. All the actors were great and the story ended with all the loose ends tied up as best a dysfunctional family can tie anything up completely. Also, leave it to Woody Allen having many NYC street scenes which are enjoyble. I won't watch it again as I do other oldies, but it was a great Friday evening with a good story and excellent acting.

If movies reflect their directors state of mind, then Woody Allen must have been in a very good place when he made this movieHannah and her sisters is a beautiful movie that makes me feel so content and peeaceful by the end. The pacing is sublime, locations are exquisite and the ensemble cast fits together like the proverbial glove.Woody Allen movies are loquacious to say they least. This movie has some wonderful dialogue with not a swear word, violence or nudity anywhere. In many ways it's an old fashioned movie with a happy ending.We follow the trials and downfall of Hannah and her sisters. We watch as they slowly and painfully turn adversity into a kind of triumph that we would all like to achieve in our lives as they put the pieces of life's jigsaw puzzle back together.Hannah and her sisters is Allens most optimistic movie. His neuroses with death is, as with all his earlier works, prevalent in this. But the difference is that for the first time, he finds resolution to his fears. We all have these same fears and uncertainties. Many of us never resolve them. Maybe that's why we have the movies.I could watch this movie every week. Finally I have it on bluray. The picture is good, if a little saturated in places. But who cares when a movie is this good.I wouldn't call this movie a comedy. It's a snapshot of life. And as such, it's very beautiful and satisfying.

Woody Allen's 1986 film Hannah and Her Sisters is, for me, very much a mixed bag. I was tempted to rate it as three star only, but, on the strength of the performances from Dianne Wiest, Barbara Hershey and, predictably I guess, Allen himself, it just edges into four star territory.The film provides another example of Allen's take on life, as mixed between tragedy and comedy - albeit without a clear demarcation in all cases. But, for me, Allen achieves this mix much more effectively in one of his film classics, Crimes and Misdemeanours, than he does here.As has become Allen's trademark, there are a number of narrative threads running through the film. Actress Hannah (solidly played by Mia Farrow) and her two sisters, Lee (Barbara Hershey, in easily her best film role for me) and Holly (played by the much underrated Dianne Wiest) provide the central storylines. Hannah's husband Elliot (Michael Caine) becomes obsessed by Lee, who herself is suffering marriage ructions with her artist husband Frederick (played with admirable gravity by Max von Sydow), and the two embark on a passionate affair. Meantime, (ex-)drug addict Holly is struggling to find her path in life, rapidly moving between the various men in her life and numerous career paths, much to the dismay of sister Hannah. The other main storyline features Hannah's ex-husband, TV producer Mickey Sachs (played by Allen), who is also beginning to despair at life and obsessing that he has a terminal medical condition. Following some hilarious diagnosis scenes with various doctors, Mickey is given the all clear, at which point he decides he needs to find the true meaning of life, by means of religious conversion to catholicism (or maybe even Hare Krishna), much to the disgust of his Jewish parents.For me, the film is at its best when focusing on Allen's Mickey character and on the superb performance by Dianne Wiest as Holly, a performance for which she deservedly won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar. It is much less successful when featuring the Lee/Elliot relationship. The reason for this is that, for me, Michael Caine is hopelessly miscast, and just not convincing, as Elliot and certainly not deserving of winning the Best Supporting Actor Oscar as he did. On the other hand, both Hershey and (to a slightly lesser extent) Mia Farrow are both very good in their playing opposite Caine.Other notable performances are provided by Julie Kavner (as Mickey's co-worker Gail), Carrie Fisher (as April, Holly's best friend, though competitor in love) and Maureen O'Sullivan (Mia Farrow's real life mother) and Lloyd Nolan as Hannah's mother and father, Norma and Evan (respectively). Also watch out for John Turturro in a cameo role in one of his very early film appearances.The film also has a typically high quality soundtrack mixing jazz (Cole Porter, Dick Hyman, Count Basie, Dave Brubeck) and classical (JS Bach, Puccini). Also, at the end of the film, it is notable that Mickey's faith in life is restored following his cinema visit to see The Marx Brothers film Duck Soup. The film actually ends on a positive note as Elliot is reconciled with Hannah, and Mickey and (previous girlfriend, now wife) Holly announce that Holly is pregnant.Not my top ranking Woody Allen film, but a must see film nevertheless.

Best yet transfer and enhancement of Hannah and Her Sisters to Bluray with good strong colours, clear picture and strong sound bass particularly with the musical numbers between and during scenes. One of Woody Allens most successful and popular films from the mid 80s. Story centeres around three very different sisters, their relationships, trysts, family and friend woes and tthe meaning of love and life. Outstanding cast Mia Farrow, Barbara Hershey, Diane Weist, Max Von Sydow, Carrie Fisher, Daniel Stern, Sam Waterson and starring Michael Caine & Woody Allen . Bluray features a Theatrical trailer only with a menu to scenes.

Considered by the plaudits to one of Woody Allen's most successful films, you are reminded that although it may seem to the Allen detractors that he only has one joke and a paranoiac one at that. Allen and that joke appears here again, but this really is a thoroughly good and well structured piece of work. At times you can be convinced that it has a classic almost Shakespearian structure. The three female leads are wonderful and Michael Caine deserves his Bafta for best supporting actor. Certainly a 4* Woody Allen film.

This film by Woody Allen is typical of his work and most enjoyable. Michael Caine gives a very interesting and sympathetic performance as the husband who strays in middle age. The 'girls' are all splendid Woody Allen gets such good performances from his actors and must be so interesting to work with, reccomended .