You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger
Woody Allen's You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger follows a pair of married couples, Alfie (Anthony Hopkins) and Helena (Gemma Jones), and their daughter Sally (Naomi Watts) and husband Roy (Josh Brolin), as their passions, ambitions, and anxieties lead them into trouble and out of their minds.
To celebrate the upcoming release, we will reflect back on some of Woody Allen’s most notable films.
Annie Hall (1977)
Allen’s funniest film chronicles the relationship between neurotic Alvie Singer (Allen) and eclectic Annie (Dianne Keaton).
The story follows the complicated and dynamic relationship between the two, while often interrupted by imaginary trips into each other’s history.
The social commentary analyzes how people require love and relationships despite how complex and painful they might be.
The quick-witted and (now) classic film, which won four Academy Awards (Best Picture, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay) and the BAFTA for Best Film, is considered the biggest turning point in Allen’s career and most often noted as people’s favourite Woody Allen movie.
Manhattan (1979)
The film, directed by and starring Woody Allen, follows a twice-divorced 42-year old comedy writer (Allen) who dates a 17-year-old girl (Mariel Hemingway) before eventually falling love with his best friend’s mistress (Diane Keaton).
Opening and closing with George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, the film echoes the idea 'not everyone gets corrupted' and 'you’ve got to have faith in people.
Shot beautifully in black and white, the film was honoured with the BAFTA award for Best Film.
Hannah and her Sisters (1986)
Hannah and Her Sisters tells the intertwined stories of an extended family, spanning over two years. The film, considered to have the best acting out of all of Allen’s blockbusters, stars Michael Caine, Mia Farrow, Barbara Hershey, and Dianne West.
Noted as Allen’s biggest box office hit, the film received seven Academy Award nominations and won Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor (Michael Caine), and Best Supporting Actress (Dianne West) and also received two BAFTA awards (Original Screenplay and Achievement in Direction).
Bullets over Broadway (1994)
Set in 1928, young playwright David Shayne(John Cusack) hires Olive Neal (Jennifer TIlly), the girlfriend of a gangster, in order to gain funding for his play.
Although Neal is worthless, her gangster escort Cheech (Chazz Palminteri) is brilliant and constantly has new ideas to revise Shayne’s play.
Shayne gets wrapped up in the excitement of the opening of his show and gets involved in an affair with his leading lady (Dianne West) while cheating on his girlfriend (Mary-Louise Parker).
Nominated for several awards, Dianne West was honoured multiple times for her efforts as a supporting actress.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
The romantic comedy, written and directed by Allen, follows the events of two young women, Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson), during their vacation in Barcelona.
At an art exhibition, Cristina meets an artist Juan Antonio Gonzalo (Javier Bardiem) who has recently gone through a publicly violent relationship with his ex-wife Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz). Allen’s film documents the love triangle between Cristina, Juan Antonio, and Maria Elena.
The film won the Golden Globe for Best Picture and Penelope Cruz was awarded for her depiction of Maria Elena by several different organizations, including the Academy of Motion Pictures and the British Academy of Film and Television.
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger opens in cinemas nationwide 18th March 2011