Annie Hall

Within the opening minute, Neurotic New Yorker comedian Alvy Singer (Allen) gives a soliloquy that lays the groundwork for Allen to completely reconfigure his image as a funny man in favour for his lasting legacy as an artistic genius with arguably his magnum opus. One really gets the sense that Allen has perfected, polished and translated everything he saw in his own head in such a way as to perfectly reinvent an otherwise very tired concept: the romantic comedy. Taking this conceptual work of art from strength to strength, Allen's script, direction and performance deliver hearty laughs, memorable quotes and iconic scenes along the way. The entertainment value is induced by the coupling of scenes which lampoon whole cultures of the mid-seventies with sarcasm from Singer in high enough quantities to qualify him as a Brit.

Another big gun of Allen's arsenal of beautiful writing and directing is seen in the fourth-wall breaking from Singer, as we follow Singer's rambling mind as he jumps seamlessly from fantasy to reality, though ingeniously without disorientation, while he projects his worldview of Freudianism and art's pursuit of infallibility. Ultimately, what we see is Singer's own psychoanalytical post-mortem of his relationship with the ditsy Annie Hall, who is played to perfection by Diane Keaton. Furthermore, the chemistry between Keaton and Allen is mesmerising. There's none of the soppiness that plagues the genre; instead, we see a subtly natural development and the subsequent downfall of a relationship. Then, after various realisations and stunning character developments, Singer delivers the final conclusion which epitomises the artistic nature of the film.

The cracking performances from Keaton and Allen are matched by those of the supporting cast —which includes Paul Simon and Christopher Walken — who perfectly outline their own characters in the perception of Singer. Fully deserving its four Academy Awards (1977: Best Actress for Keaton, Best Director, Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay), this is a film for which frustratingly overused terms like "classic," "masterpiece" and "timeless" should be wholly reserved.

Robin James Kerrison

Winner of four Oscars, Woody Allen’s Annie Hall is a stunning film that pipped Star Wars to Best Picture. After breaking up with his on/off eponymous girlfriend, neurotic comedian Alvy Singer, undergoing a mid-life crisis, goes on a stream of consciousness journey through his memories of their relationship, trying to find out what caused them to part ways.

This is the kind of role Allen creates perfectly for himself; exhibiting his usual dry humour and self-deprecation but also his sensitive, passionate and romantic side. His on and off-screen partner, Diane Keaton is fantastic and won a well-deserved Oscar for her performance. Allen’s delivery is quirky; often breaking the fourth wall and speaking directly to the camera; characters interact with strangers on the street who just happen to know the answers to the personal questions posed, and there is even a brief animation scene. The film is hilarious and rarely does a line or scene fall flat, every seemingly unnecessary utterance there for a reason.

Annie and Alvy are both nuts (in general and about each other), but their differences play against and alongside one another beautifully. It’s a film about Allen and Keaton throwing away their love, but anyone who has embarked on that scary premise of an “adult relationship” will see a little bit of themselves in these characters. Not always torn apart by dramatic circumstance; sometimes they just gradually and quietly erode away. Put simply this is an absolute classic that may have slipped under most students’ radars. If you have been disappointed with Woody Allen of late, this is his masterpiece and a must-see.

Hannah Upton