Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993)

Woody Allen was going through his off-screen scandal with Mia Farrow when Manhattan Murder Mystery was produced, so Diane Keaton was brought in to fill the role intended for Farrow. The reunion of Keaton and Allen only improves this already enjoyable Allen comedy, since they're so comfortable with each other's neuroses that they're delightfully convincing as a married couple who suspect their neighbor of murdering his wife. Actually, it's Keaton who obsesses about the possible foul play; Woody just wants them to mind their own business. But pretty soon they've recruited their friends (Alan Alda, Anjelica Huston) as amateur sleuths, and the movie turns into a Nancy Drew mystery for sophisticated Manhattanites. With a typical abundance of Woody Allen witticism and some memorable comic suspense, this engaging throwback to vintage Hollywood mysteries is guaranteed to please even the most noncommittal Woody Allen fans, and the Allen-Keaton chemistry is, as always, a genuine pleasure. --Jeff Shannon Amazon.com essential video

Steerrrr-ike Three!

I don't think it's appropriate to rate a book or film primarily on whether or not I happen to "like" it. On the one hand, there are lots of books and movies I don't especially care for but which I nonetheless acknowledge as really good work. On the other hand, there are lots of both which I get a kick out of, even though I know that they're sheer baloney.

So when I run across a film or book that I don't care for, I generally bend over backwards to be fair to it, always asking myself if the book or film is really bad or just not to my individual taste. I've asked myself this about Allen's "Manhattan Murder Mystery," which I really dislike (although I quite like Allen's film as a rule). And I've come to the conclusion that there are some objectively unlikeable features to it.

In the first place, it's a piece of fluff that seems a sad step backwards for the director of such films as "Shadows and Fog" or "Crimes and Misdemeanors." Allen has said in interviews that he considers this a lightweight piece--a kind of break or diversion from his heavier films. But even viewed in that spirit, the film is disappointing. The storyline is silly, the "mystery" is one of those that the viewer can't possibly figure out from the plot has to be resolved in a five minute summary at the end of the film, and the whole thing becomes tedious in the second half anyway. This is partly because so much in the film seems so familiar: the Annie Hall/Alvy Singer dynamics between Allen and Keaton, the spouses flirting with possible extra-marital love interests, the same neurotic Allen, the same self-deprecation. It's as if Allen's recycling scenes from old scripts. Finally, there's the wooden performance of Angelica Houston, an exceedingly over-rated actor. Her poor performance isn't enhanced by the fact that it's never quite clear what her character is doing in the film in the first place.

What rates the film a couple of stars is the performance of the other actors. Even though Allen and Keaton revise the Annie Hall thing, it's just as delicious this time around as it was the first time. Alan Alda is perfect as Ted, the recently divorced and lovelorn author, and Jerry Adler puts in a superb performance as Paul House, the rather boring, stamp-collecting moviehouse owner who turns out to be the film's heavy.

Too bad. But even the best directors--and Allen is certainly that--occasionally strike out. July 23, 2008

OLDIE BUT GOODY

IF YOU LIKE WOODY ALLEN VIEW THIS MOVIE, VERY GOOD, OUR FAMILY ENJOYED IT, PRICE WAS VERY REASONABLE, AND IT SHIPPED IN A FEW SHORT DAYS, WE WILL ALWAYS RETURN AND PURCHASE OTHERS OF THIS TYPE. THK YOU MRS M. COLOMBO June 14, 2008

If you want a happy movie, go see Manhattan Murder Mystery.

The reunion of Keaton and Allen as a married couple, Larry and Carol Lipton, trying to figure out if their new next door neighbor has committed murder of his wife is their last film together, and IMO, the funniest. Angelica Houston and Alan Alda provide additional comic relief as friends helping the couple solve the mystery. For me, Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993) is the most delightful and enjoyable of all Allen's films and I never laugh as much and hard as when I re-watch this comedy/whodunit. I have been Allen's fan for many years and I've seen every movie he's made. MMM may not be considered his masterpiece but it is very high on my list of all time favorite films, and one of the most beloved comedies ever. It is so clever and funny that I would take it with me to any deserted island, and if I felt lonely and down, I'd watch the scene in the hotel's lift, and the Allen's face when he delivers one of his funniest lines ever, "Claustrophobia and a dead body - this is a neurotic's jackpot!" I believe Manhattan Murder Mystery has more witty and hilarious dialogs and one-liners than any of Allen's films, and I enjoy every one of them. Allen claims to have "indulged" himself with this movie in which he referred openly to such classics of cinema as Double Indemnity, Rear Window, and The Lady from Shanghi. The third time collaboration of Allen and Marshall Brickman in writing the script ("Annie Hall", "Manhattan") proved to be brilliant. The result is uniquely Allenesque - breezy, joyous, and absolutely fabulous.

June 2, 2008

Clever and Quite Funny

After paying tribute to the masters (Bergman), Woody Allen went back to more familiar territory - with a delightful twist.

Think of it as Annie Hall Gets To Play Nancy Drew. Whatever, Manhattan Murder Mystery is a short, fast, and very funny, movie. It has an all-star cast (Alan Alda, Angelica Houston)and reunites Woody with Diane Keaton. The dialogue is swift, laugh-out-loud funny and the plot is entertaining. More important, adults act and talk like adults. Without being stuffy, this film introduces urbane, witty, folks who talk and act like normal people. Woody Allen will always be the master of dialogue and here, he uses it to the best possible advantage.

A fun movie that everybody will enjoy. May 5, 2008

Woody Allen Light

The great thing about Woody Allen is his life is never far from his art and the problem with Woody Allen is that his life is never far from his art. Manhattan Murder Mystery was filmed when Farrow and Allen were breaking up and by that time Allen had already been long involved with Soon Yi. Manhattan Murder Mystery reflects his moving to a, ummm shall we say, less mature viewpoint.

On the surface, Manhattan Murder Mystery is nothing more than a light comedy about two sophisticated Manhattanites (Keaton and Allen) who suspect their neighbor of murder after his wife dies. Keaton's female intuition tells her something is wrong but Allen wants to mind his business. Keaton turns to friend, Alan Alda, to explore the mystery with her. Alda plays a character who is almost like family because of his long standing relationship with the couple, but he is enough of a stranger that Keaton and Alda could still have an affair. (Sound familar?) In the meantime, Allen turns to comfortingly non-neurotic Angelica Houston for friendship. This is a comedy and the friendships remain friendly and there is no betrayal. Keaton's intution about the neighbor proves correct and Allen's belief in her is cemented. In the end, Keaton and Allen's relationship is back on solid footing.

The typical Allen hallmarks are here. New York is a definite character in the film. The script is dialogue based and the music is great old jazz tunes sparsely sprinkled over scene shots. Music and action do not compete with the actors. Allen and Keaton are neurotic and play off each other well. Keaton's performance is familar-almost too familar. She never seemed to be an actress that reached and she's playing the same neurotic, not too strong, friendly, cerebal woman here, but she's still enjoyable to watch.

Manhattan Murder Mystery is Woody Allen light, but worth watching. It's intelligent comedy and a good break from films where farts are the main attraction. My favourite Allen films are still Deconstructing Harry (I love the scene in hell with Billy Crystal), Crimes and Misdemeanors (for it's view on life), and Annie Hall (for sentimental reasons because it was the first film to have an impression on me when I was a kid. Other kids my age wanted to be Orphan Annie in the Broadway play, but I wanted to be Annie Hall). March 12, 2008

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