Manhattan is classic Woody
Allen - neurotic, self-obsessed, annoying New Yorker Isaac (Allen) must choose
between two women. It's stylistically beautiful, in black and white, featuring
the Manhattan Allen loves, set to the music of George Gershwin. The major
film focus is on Isaac's angst and his relationship with Tracy (Mariel Hemingway,
The Sex Monster, Personal Best, "Roseanne," In
Her Line of Fire), his 17-year-old high school student girlfriend. Very
inappropriate, and in retrospect one can't help but think of Allen's real life
affair with his wife's 17-year-old adopted daughter. Isaac's other love interest
is pseudo-intellectual journalist Mary (Diane Keaton, The Other Sister,
The First Wives Club), a very interesting character who seems quite a match
for him, despite the fact that she is also seeing his married best friend. The
reason the movie makes this list is because Isaac's ex-wife Jill (Meryl Streep,
The Hours, Silkwood, Julia) left him for a woman, causing
more angst and neurosis on his part. He even tried to run over her girlfriend
with his car. It's great to see a young Streep, even though her role is relatively
small. Both Keaton and Hemingway also give wonderful performances.
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