This film is actually quite confusing. Its plot does not move smoothly and too much development happens offscreen. Its as if the film has tried to do too much in its relatively short runtime. There are too many characters and most of them are very forgettable. Allen and Caine are the most memorable characters. Despite being labled as a comedy Allens character arc is the only one that is actually funny. The film also chooses to jump between the characters at cawkward times and this just leaves the viewer feeling confused. Generally, very overrated. Stick to Annie Hall. 5/10

There's something wonderful about watching the disintegration of a marriage through the lense of sardonic prose.

A cast loaded with major Hollywood personalities from Mia Farrow to Barbara Hershey to Max Von Sydow to Michael Caine to Diane Wiest to Woody Allen among others brilliantly explores the familiar theme of the romantic storyboard -the seemingly endless variety of things to do in a big city does not for long take your mind off whatever your personal hangups happen to be. The fictitious characters are all blocked as self centered with Allen's visual directorial style wandering from single camera focus to enticing panning shots for variety. What Allen seems to capture best in this film is the decaying Manhattan, New York City infrastructure whose denizens look the other way as to its surface grime and street traffic intensity.

I saw this movie when it first came out, and I thought it was just great, although I did not like Michael Cain in his role. Fast forward however many years, and I caught it on TV. Still didn't like Michael Cain in the movie - too whiny and overwrought, but so was everyone else. What a terrible movie! It has not stood the test of time. All the characters are high-strung, navel gazers who talk too much and say very little. The Allen Method of acting, which is basically improvising, looks so corny and amateurish in retrospect, and not at all realistic. Mia Farrow's voice could drive anyone insane, and her character is insipid; her sisters treat her like dirt, and her husband uses and abuses her. Just awful.