2019 Blind Spot Picks

December 26, 2018December 26, 2018 | Rachel's Reviews

Since 2016 I have participated in the Blind Spot project, which is a monthly series where I watch and review a popular film I haven’t seen yet. So far I have reviewed 36 films in the series and it has been an amazing experience! Some I have loved like Tron and others weren’t for me like The Green Mile. Nevertheless, it is always interesting to watch and review these classic films.

So it is with great pleasure I announce my 2019 Blind Spot Picks:

henry 5

January- Henry V

This Shakespeare adaptation put Kenneth Branagh on the map and got him 2 Oscar nominations. I’ve seen the play once at the Utah Shakespeare Festival but it is not one I am super familiar with so I am looking forward to watching this film.

February- Garden State

Hailed by hipsters everywhere as a classic, it’s about time I saw Garden State. I’m hoping for a fun sweet romantic comedy for the month of love.

March- The Usual Suspects

I know this movie has a double bad name to it with Kevin Spacey and Bryan Singer in it but they won’t make much money from my rental so I figure it’s time to check this ‘neo-noir mystery film’ off of my list.

scott

April- Scott Pilgrim vs the World

Directed by Edgar Wright this quasi comicbook movie/romance (it’s a genre mashup I am told) should be a lot of fun to finally visit.

May- Brief Encounter

For May I am going to be checking off the art house favorite 1945’s Brief Encounter starring Celia Johnson and Trevor Howard. It’s about a bored housewife who happens to meet a doctor while doing errands and the brief encounter turns into more than they bargained for. Sounds intriguing!

gidget

June- Gidget

Sandra Dee became the ultimate girl next door in Gidget. She plays a young woman who finds surfing and a handsome surfer named Moondoggie Matthews all in one summer at the beach! I love the beach and romances so this should be a lot of fun.

July- The Best Years of Our Lives-

Hailed as one of the greatest films to win best picture, The Best Years of Our Lives has long been on my radar. It’s just so long at nearly 3 hours that I hadn’t gotten around to seeing it but I am really looking forward to checking this post-World War 2 family drama off of my list.

August- Take Shelter-

I love director Jeff Nichols films but I haven’t gotten around to seeing his film Take Shelter. It tells the story of a man played by Michael Shannon who starts getting apocalyptic visions and what he does to protect his family. Jessica Chastain is also in it and it looks very intriguing.

September- The Pianist-

I have avoided this movie because of my distaste for director Roman Polanski but it seems like a perfect choice for the blind spot project. Adrien Brody won an Oscar for his role, and I know it is a moving Holocaust story which are always edifying if difficult to watch.

October- Cowboy Bebop: the Movie-

Now that I have finished the Studio Ghibli films it is time to expand into other anime and Cowboy Bepop: the Movie is definitely something I have been curious about for some time. The story of intergalactic bounty hunters seems very creative and I look forward to checking it out.

November- The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance-

I like to have a good variety in my blind spot picks so why not pick a classic western! The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance stars 2 of Hollywood’s greatest leading men in Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne and it is directed by the master John Ford. That’s enough to sell me!

December- Tokyo Godfathers-

My Christmas pick for blind spot is the anime film Tokyo Godfathers. It has been one I’ve been wanting to watch for a while. I’m just always so busy during the holidays to watch it! The story of 3 homeless people who find a baby on Christmas Eve is supposed to be really special and I look forward to seeing it.

So there you have it! What do you think of my picks? Have you seen any of these films and are you going to participate in the Blind Spot project? You all should! It’s really fun and rewarding

Blind Spot 33: Ikiru

September 19, 2018September 19, 2018 | Rachel's Reviews

Ikiru marks the 3rd film I have seen from acclaimed director Akira Kurosawa (I’ve previously seen Throne of Blood and Seven Samurai) and of the 3, it might be my favorite. In what feels like a Japanese version of Death of a Salesman, Ikiru paints a fascinating portrait of business life in Japan and how one man tries to stand out after learning of his imminent death.

Ikiru is about a middle-aged man named Kanji Watanable. He has worked as a bureaucrat for 30 years and with a dead wife and selfish son/daughter-in-law he doesn’t have much to live for or be excited about. One day he finds out about a proposal to turn a cesspool into a community park and he thinks he might be able to make a difference.

Then he finds out he has stomach cancer and decides to make the building of the park his legacy. Unlike America, Japanese society often values group effort over individual accomplishment. This makes Watanabe’s subordination to get this park an extraordinary effort. His coworkers are shocked by his actions and after he dies they marvel at his boldness.

Watanabe also receives inspiration from a young girl who he has drinks with. He asks her ‘how do you have such love of life?’ and she says she simply loves her job making toys because the toys make children happy; thereby, giving her life the value of making the children of Japan happy (you see more of a group rather than individual accomplishment).

Like Death of a Salesman there is a melancholy to Ikiru because his accomplishment (especially to modern American eyes) is so small; however, I related to the emotions that Watanabe experiences. It reminds me of the great quote from You’ve Got Mail ‘I lead a small life. Valuable but small and I don’t know if I do it because I like or because I haven’t been brave?’ That is the question of Ikiru and to his credit Watanabe decides to be brave.

At the end of the movie his associates enthusiastically determine to follow his example and do bold things; however, upon returning to work they lose their conviction and life continues on as before. It’s sad how often the road more traveled, not less, is the choice of so many.

The cinematography in Ikiru is stunning. The way Kurosawa and cinematographer Asakazu Nakai use the black and white to capture loneliness and melancholy is breathtaking. I loved the way rain and snow looks in contrast to the black sky. Beautiful.

I also thought all of the acting was strong especially from the lead Takashi Shimura. Again, he has a Willy Loman quality to him with his shoulders slumped over at all times except when he is swinging in his park.

As for downsides, the film does lose steam when Watanabe dies and becomes a little repetitive. Also I wasn’t crazy about the music, which seemed a bit too bubbly for the sober story. Other than that, it was a great film! I definitely recommend it!

Blind Spot 30: The Green Mile

June 23, 2018June 26, 2018 | Rachel's Reviews

When I was trying to think of movies to see for this year’s blind spot picks I remembered a conversation I had with a friend who was shocked I hadn’t seen the 1999 film The Green Mile. It just never appealed to me and came out at a time I wasn’t watching rated R movies. So, the blind spot series was the perfect spot to finally cover this well regarded flick. Unfortunately this is one of those classics that didn’t work for me. I can see why it would work for others but I didn’t care for it.

There is a trope in literature and film called the “magical negro”. This is defined as ” a supporting black stock character in American cinema who is portrayed as coming to the aid of a film’s white protagonists and who often possess mystical powers” Director Spike Lee went on to describe The Green Mile as the “super-duper magical negro” and I certainly agree with him.

The Green Mile is based on a novel by Stephen King and tells the story of a prison warden named Paul Edgecomb played by Tom Hanks who gets a new prisoner named John Coffey played by Michael Clark Duncan. John is on death row for the rape and murder of 2 little girls. He is joined by other prisoners played by Sam Rockwell, Michael Jeter and more.

However, John is no ordinary criminal. He has special powers that can heal and make things last forever (and the lights go out). Paul is even cured of a bladder infection and the wife of one of the prison wardens of a brain tumor.

The strength of The Green Mile definitely lies with its performances. Tom Hanks and Michael Clark Duncan are the particular standouts and Duncan was nominated for an Oscar for his work.

Unfortunately the movie can never shake the uncomfortable and trope-filled premise. I do not understand why they didn’t have the prison block more diverse. This would make it feel more like a person with powers instead of the magic black person sent to be a literal savior for the white people (and of course he doesn’t get saved by them at any time). It’s unfortunate.

Adding to all of this The Green Mile is over 3 hours long and very tedious to watch. Not a whole lot happens and the characters are very unpleasant. At about the 30 minute mark I was ready for this uncomfortable experience to be over. I am sure it is a film made with the best of intentions but it’s just not for me.

Blind Spot 29: Gallipoli

May 9, 2018May 9, 2018 | Rachel's Reviews

This month’s Blindspot pick, 1981’s Gallipoli, is an interesting one because it is my best movie buddy Phaedra’s favorite movie. She is a blogger just like me but at least with prestige pictures we often have very different tastes. We can both have fun at silly films like 47 Meters Down (she went with me and enjoyed it!) but let’s just say our picks at Sundance are quite different. LOL. So knowing Gallipoli was her favorite film and that it was a war movie I prepared myself for some intense stuff. What I got was very surprising. Gallipoli is more of a coming of age film than a war movie and despite a very sad ending is surprisingly hopeful.

Gallipoli stars a very young Mel Gibson (you can definitely see how Gallipoli influenced Gibson’s Braveheart and Hacksaw Ridge) as Frank and Mark Lee as Archy. They are young men in 1915 Australia who meet sprinting together. Archy yearns to go to the war where Frank is more blasé about it but eventually agrees to go along for the ride.

After a long walk through the desert the boys enlist and are sent to Cairo and eventually to the Gallipoli Peninsula at Anzac Cove. Surprisingly we don’t see much of the war or any fighting until the final act. Most of the time is spent getting to know Frank and Archy and their friends. In many ways it reminded me of Chariots of Fire in the slice of life portrayal of young boys trying to figure out what they believe in.

When we get to the ANZAC attack it is quite devastating because the characters have been built up so well. The most frustrating part of the bloodshed is that it is based upon a miscommunication between 2 officers, not on any actual need to fight. I don’t want to give away too many spoilers but Frank desperately tries to stop the advancement as a messenger in the final scenes and it is very intense.

In many ways it makes sense that Peter Weir directed Gallipoli. He always has a way of bringing out sincere and moving performances from young actors (Dead Poets Society, Witness) and this is probably his best movie. I was really engrossed in the story and felt attached to Frank and Archy as their journey progressed. There were light moments where you got to know them as people that made the losses of war feel all the more real and devastating. It was very well done.

I also thought all the production values were strong in Gallipoli. The cinematography was striking capturing the dry, deserts of both Australia and the Anzac Cove. It also had fantastic music featuring both modern electronic and classical orchestrations. The war scenes felt convincing, which helped build the tension well and drew me into the story. I recently watched a WW1 movie called The Journey’s End and it was so dull, so I know this is not an easy task to achieve.

What makes Gallipoli a hopeful film is promise and potential we see in Frank, Archy and their friends. Yes they were put in a war and that is awful but seeing that potential and getting to know these characters is still a good thing. Hopefully we can see the joy and dreams in young people today and do a better job at not snuffing it out far too early. Even the imagery of Archy running throughout the film (and in the closing shots) is hopeful.

Gallipoli is a great movie, and it should be talked more about as such. I think it is even better than Saving Private Ryan to be honest (both good films). It develops its characters better and builds up to the battle instead of starting with it. This makes you more invested (and devastated) with what is happening. There was a humanity in Gallipoli that moved me because it wasn’t just a clinical exercise but a story of 2 young men who wanted to run but ended up being unable to outrace the foolish decisions of their generals.

Blind Spot 26: The Palm Beach Story

February 10, 2018 | Rachel's Reviews

February is the month of romance, so I thought it would be fun to pick a classic romantic comedy for my blind spot selection. There aren’t many romcoms I haven’t seen but one I hadn’t gotten around to is The Palm Beach Story by director Preston Sturges- the king of the 1940s romantic comedy! Fortunately, it proved to be not only romantic but also somewhat shocking (for the day) in its themes and story.

The first thing to keep in mind with The Palm Beach Story is to watch the opening credits! There is a montage throughout them that comes into play later in the movie. It’s a neat touch that starts things off feeling fresh and inventive.

Claudette Colbert is amazing as Gerry, a woman struggling with a marriage that can’t seem to get above water financially. Her husband Tom (Joel McCrea) has grand ideas but can never make a steady paycheck. Through various contrivances Gerry ends up on a train down to Palm Beach where she hopes to meet a rich man who can be her second husband.

To her great fortune she meets a man named John D. Hackensacker III (Rudy Vallee) who becomes smitten and insists on showering her with all kinds of clothing and gifts. Of course when Tom hears about this he is furious and goes to Palm Beach to try and stop it.

Things get further complicated when Hackensacker’s sister Princess Centimillia (Mary Astor) becomes interested in Tom (who Gerry says is her brother Captain McGlue!). With so many half truths it gets pretty nutty and even a little surprising. It’s also very easy to see how this film influenced movies like White Christmas and Some Like It Hot in many ways.

As with all of Preston Sturges’ movies the true star is the terrific script. He was so great at crafting frank and honest dialogue spoken from compelling characters. The banter between McCrea and Colbert is snappy and very fast paced but thankfully the actors are up for the task. Colbert is as good here as she is in It Happened One Night, and she has good chemistry with McCrea. They even manage to keep her likable despite her taking advantage of Hackensacker and not being very honest. Not an easy task!

I was impressed with how modern the script was in both tone and candor. Sex, marriage, divorce, infidelity, loneliness and depression are all discussed in ways that must have made the censors blush back then. Sturges even asks the question ‘is marriage necessary or a good thing?’. Of course, the answer is yes but it’s still a bold question for 1942. Later on in Unfaithfully Yours he will explore these themes even more, but I appreciated there was nothing cloying about the relationships in this script.

The only real downside is not all the physical comedy worked for me. All the actors are up for it but I preferred the more dialogue-based humor. Also, I don’t know that I completely buy the ending, but I don’t know that we are supposed to. I think it is meant to be a little bit of a poke at traditional romances with perfect happily ever afters. He even adds an ‘or not’ at the end to reinforce his point.

I definitely recommend checking The Palm Beach Story out if you like classic romances with great dialogue. It’s a wonderful choice for Valentine’s Day and a whole lot of fun! Also, studios should take a look at this film and consider remaking it or paying homage to it. The story and script is definitely still relevant and it would be interesting to see the themes of marriage explored even more so with modern characters.

Overall Grade- A–

2018 Blind Spot Picks

December 16, 2017December 31, 2017 | Rachel's Reviews

I know I should be giving you my written reviews for Last Jedi and Coco and I apologize for being woefully behind. (I do have reviews of those and Ferdinand on my youtube channel and will be a writing machine over the Christmas holiday because my family is all abandoning me LOL). However, I am not in the mood to write a review tonight but will instead give you my next 12 picks for the Blind Spot series!

The Blind Spot series is something I have been doing for the last 2 years where each month I watch a movie I’ve never seen before that is highly regarded and give you my thoughts. Nobody has seen every movie and I certainly have my fair share of big gaps. Participating in this series allows me to fill in some of those gaps and have a little fun while I’m at it. I encourage all of you to participate if you have a blog or youtube channel! It’s a ton of fun.

So here are my next round of picks:

January

The New World- Director and Writer Terrence Malick

It’s a new year so why not start with A New World? I have long been a Malick defender as he makes art pieces over traditional narratives but here is a narrative about Pocahontas that I have long wanted to see. I love Collin Farrell and am not a big fan of the Disney version so this will be nice to see.

February

The Palm Beach Story- Director and Writer Preston Sturges

February seems like the perfect time to catch up on my Preston Sturges viewing. If you don’t know Preston Sturges was the king of romantic comedies in the 40s, so that is of course right up my ally. In The Palm Beach Story he directs Claudette Colbert and Joel McCrea in a comedy where a couple decides to divorce so she can marry a millionaire to help support his big inventions.

March

The Seventh Seal- Director and Writer Ingmar Bergman

I have a confession. I have never seen an Ingmar Bergman film. As a film fan of course I know the name but have never seen any of his films. Well, that changes this year with The Seventh Seal. I don’t know much about the film except it is about a knight playing chess with Death personified and that Roger Ebert declared it ‘one of the masterpieces of cinema’. That’s good enough for me to give it a watch!

April

The Green Mile- Director and Writer Frank Darabont from Stephen King novel

Based on the Stephen King novel, The Green Mile is one of the few Tom Hanks films I haven’t seen. It tells the story of a death row corrections officer during The Great Depression. It was nominated for best picture and best supporting actor for Michael Clarke Duncan, so I look forward to watching it.

May

Gallipoli- Director Peter Weir

Gallipoli is my friend Phaedra’s favorite movie. Enough said. I will watch it! It’s directed by Peter Weir and stars a young Mel Gibson about 2 Australian sprinters who are sent to fight in Turkey during World War 1.

June

The Cat Returns- Director Hiroyuki Morita

In 2018 I will finish watching all the Studio Ghibli films. One that remains on my list is The Cat Returns. It is about a young girl that gets engaged to a cat prince in a magical world where she must rely on a dapper cat statuette come to life to save her. It looks like a ton of fun!

July

The Last Emperor- Director and Writer Bernardo Bertolucci

I had long heard about The Last Emperor but hadn’t seen it probably because it is nearly 3 hours long. However, it won 9 Academy Awards including best picture and it is time to check it off my list! This epic film tells the story of the last emperor of China Pu Yi.

August

The Young Girls of Rochefort- Director and Writer Jacques Demy

I love the Umbrellas of Cherbourg so I want to check off more of Jacques Demy off my list and so in August I will watch The Young Girls of Rochefort. This stars Catherine Deneuve who is also in Cherbourg along with Francoise Dorleac and Gene Kelly. It is about two sisters who head to the city in search of romance and are hired at a carnival. Kelly plays an American musician one of the girls falls for

September

Ikiru- Director and Writer Akira Kurosawa

In September I will move over to Japan and acclaimed director Akira Kurosawa’s film Ikiru. I have seen Throne of Blood and Seven Samurai and enjoyed both of those. Ikiru is another long movie from Kurosawa but it sounds like a very good film. It is about a bureaucrat wasting away at a terrible job (a theme I love) that finds out he has cancer and must come to terms with his life.

October

Scream- Director Wes Craven

Yes, believe it or not I have never seen Scream. I just have never been that into horror movies so it didn’t appeal to me. Over the last few years I have been trying to expand out of my comfort zone so, I think October will be a good time to check this horror classic off of my list. This is a horror comedy I am told so hopefully it will be fun.

November

Whisper of the Heart- Directed by Yoshifumi Kondo Screenplay by Hayao Miyazaki

Whisper of the Heart is the final Studio Ghibli film for me and I will have seen the entire canon. It is one of the only films not directed by Miyazaki or Takahata but it definitely has their influence. It’s a love story between a girl who loves reading books, and the boy who checks out all the library books she chooses. That sounds adorable and I can’t wait to watch it.

December

Desk Set- Director Walter Lang

I must admit I didn’t love another pairing of Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy called Adam’s Rib, but hopefully I will like Desk Set better. It is set during the holidays and it is about 2 strong personalities who must work together to modernize Hepburn’s computer machine and her entire studio. This seems a surprising plot for 1957 so I am intrigued to watch it. I’m running out of Christmas movies I haven’t seen so hopefully this will be a good one!

So what do you think of my list? Have you seen any of these films? Let me know your thoughts and I look forward to a fun 2018!

Blind Spot 24: We’re No Angels

December 7, 2017December 7, 2017 | Rachel's Reviews

It is very exciting we have reached my last Blind Spot pick for 2017. I hope you have enjoyed the 12 films I have reviewed this year and I look forward to picking 12 more for next year. If you have a blog I encourage you to participate in the series and finally check some of those films off your list you have been wanting to see.

Unfortunately it’s too bad I can’t end the year on a more positive note. My pick for this month is a supposed Christmas film called We’re No Angels. This is the original 1955 version not the 1989 remake. I know other people love this dark comedy but it was not for me. I honestly found it pretty hard to get through.

The story is about 3 convicts (Humphrey Bogart, Aldo Ray, Peter Ustinov) who escape from prison just before Christmas. They go to a shop and after spying on their daughter (Joan Bennett) they decide to steal from the family and then escape off of the island. Things get complicated when a snobby relative (Basil Rathbone) comes in and wants to take over the store.

I said in my 3 Billboards review that dark comedies are not my thing and it is true here. I know these men are supposed to be bad guys, convicts, but I found them uncomfortable, awkward, perverted and not the least bit funny. They literally are staring at the family and daughter through a window for a good chunk of the movie. They bicker and are cruel in ways that didn’t amuse me at all.

The only person who worked for me a little was Peter Ustinov who always gives a funny/strange performance. But even he couldn’t save this film because the writing wasn’t good and the characters are so unlikable.

Basil Rathbone’s character is supposed to be a character of ridicule but I frankly thought the 3 anti-heroes were much worse. They are manipulative, cold and worst of all boring. This movie is dull and sorely lacking in charisma or fun. It certainly has no Christmas charm or cheer.

I can see how those that like dark comedies will enjoy it but it was not for me. I really didn’t enjoy it and will never watch it again. The costumes were nice so I guess there is that but I can’t think of anything else to praise.

If this is a Christmas film you love please tell me why you like it. I just didn’t get it.

Blind Spot 22: Donnie Darko

October 8, 2017October 8, 2017 | Rachel's Reviews

It is time for this month’s blog entry for the Blind Spot series and today we are looking at the cult classic Donnie Darko! So get your black rabbit suits out and let’s talk about this unusual film.

Donnie Darko is directed by Richard Kelly and stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a disgruntled teen who keeps having visions of the future accompanied by a giant black evil rabbit. It also features Jena Malone, Patrick Swayze, and Drew Barrymore.

There are a lot of things I liked about Donnie Darko. First, I liked how it captured a feeling of teenage angst. As a teen I remember feeling that everyone was doing things wrong and if they would just listen to me it would be better. This feeling was compounded by the fact that most people seemed to see teenagers as inherently stupid and annoying. A movie like Donnie Darko validates those feelings and tells teens to follow their instincts and that adults are not always right. This is empowering.

Second, Donnie Darko is bold and uses imagery and symbolism without feeling the need to explain everything to death. It gives the viewer the opportunity to explain the images they are seeing in their own way- for us all to have a discussion.

My take on the narrative is that it is about mental illness. He spends a lot of time with a shrink that isn’t very helpful. She validates his experiences but doesn’t help provide a solution. Then you have a self-help speaker who is complete BS and other voices claiming they can solve Donnie’s severe psychosis. As his anxiety for the future grows the more desperate he grows until he becomes dangerous. Such is often the case with untreated or poorly treated mental illness.

It reminded me a little bit of what happened to me after I had a panic attack. All of the sudden the idea of bad things became something that would cause panic because I’d already experienced that happening before. Depression and anxiety are literally seen as a black cloud over Donnie and I can confirm that is how it feels.

Also when you are in the midst of a panic attack or severe mental break it feels like the world is going to end, which is a theme of the movie. You both dread and pray for this ending because anything is better than how you are feeling during these episodes.

There are some things, however, I didn’t like in Donnie Darko. My main problem is it can be a bit self-indulgent at times telling us things we already know just to introduce a cool visual or reiterate an already stated point. 122 minutes is far too long for this film and it feels repetitive after a while. It would have worked better if it had the 92 minute run time of this year’s equally abstract A Ghost Story.

I also think sometimes it bites off more than it can chew. It tries to comment on science, religion, politics, mental illness, divorce, teen sexuality, bullying, time travel and more. These many messages can leave it a little muddled and confusing.It’s also very cynical so unless you are an angsty teen who needs that angst to be understood I don’t think you will connect emotionally with it (which I think it wants you to do). I certainly didn’t have an emotional bond with the film.

Still, I admire the risk taking and what it has to say about mental illness. It’s got problems but overall I’d still recommend Donnie Darko.

Overall Grade- B

It is an R rating mostly for language

What is your take on Donnie Darko? I’ve heard all kinds of theories, which I think is a fun part of the film.

Blind Spot 21: Manhattan

September 12, 2017September 12, 2017 | Rachel's Reviews

I went into this month’s Blind spot pick, Manhattan, with kind of low expectations. Despite it being a well regarded film amongst critics and film snobs nobody I know seems to like it much. So perhaps it was these low expectations that left me feeling surprised at how much I liked it. Manhattan is a funny look at how we ruin things by idolizing them. Whether it be relationships, sex, art, literature or even New York City itself, when we place things on a pedestal we take the joy out of what we are admiring.

I can see why many don’t like Manhattan. It has Woody Allen’s classic mannerisms which can be annoying to some. It also has him in a relationship with a 17 year old which can be awkward especially with Woody Allen’s own background.

My favorite part of Manhattan is the script. It shows how ridiculous we are when we love something (or are infatuated). This scene I particularly loved when the group of pedantics are criticizing everything they think is ‘overrated’.

There were a lot of scenes like that which made me laugh and could have been easily criticizing modern internet culture today just as much as New Yorkers in 1979. These people are trying so hard to appear smart that it is funny.

Manhattan is also a beautiful movie with amazing black and white photography. I think it is even more stunning than Annie Hall. I don’t know if I can think of a Woody Allen film that looks as good. Maybe Midnight in Paris but this might be even better.

We also see this idolization with Meryl Streep’s character who was Woody Allen’s ex but left him to be with a woman. She looks stunning in this film but she is writing a whole memoir on her relationship with Allen. This is definitely Allen puffing his own ego up but it is also about how we place past relationships on a pedestal and puff them up to protect us from new pain.

My only big problem with Manhattan is I never felt invested in the romance with Mariel Hemingway. She is so sincere and he is more than a little creepy. I think that is intentional but it also wasn’t as funny as scenes with Diane Keaton and others.

In the end Manhattan is about looking at things in our lives the way they really are and taking off the rose colored glasses. But not only that- it shows how silly we all are with those glasses on.

If you would like to purchase Manhattan click here

Overall Grade- A-

PS I didn’t even think of the fact I watched Manhattan on 9/11. How perfect