Saturday 29 August 2020

Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993 Woody Allen)

A rare collaboration - with Marshall Brickman - originally to be an episode from Annie Hall. Woody and Diane Keaton's relationship is getting stale - she's constantly in the company of friend Alan Alda, whilst he's being seduced by publishing client Angelica Huston. Then a neighbour's wife dies and - in the Rear Window tradition - Keaton begins to suspect something sinister is going on, as the widower, Jerry Adler, not only seems rather casual about it, but is also spotted with a younger woman (Melanie Norris).

Witty, for sure ("I can't sit through that much Wagner. It makes me want to conquer Poland"), but Woody's showing us he can do thriller scenes well, ahead of Match Point, especially where Keaton's in the apartment, only to have the suspect walk back in. The ending, intercut with Lady from Shanghai, is amazing.

Woody's filming loosely, doing another round table track. Carlo di Palma shot it. It was Woody's first film since he and Mia split.



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