Co-written, directed by and starring Woody Allen, Manhattan (1979) further spanned the bridge between comedy and drama. Woody Allen, himself, described Manhattan as a cross between his previous two films, the comedy Annie Hall (1977) and the drama Interiors (1978). Shot in beautiful black & white cinematography, New York City shines throughout with a delectable George Gershwin soundtrack playing along. The story focuses on a 42-year-old man with two failed marriages behind him, who is dating a 17-year-old girl, but drifts away and finds new love with his best friend's mistress. The cast is great, including Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Mariel Hemingway, Meryl Streep, Wallace Shawn, Michael Murphy and Anne Byrne.
Written and directed by Woody Allen, Stardust Memories (1980) is amongst the few films that Allen himself considers to be his best work. With intermixed drama and comedy, the plot concerns a filmmaker who reminisces about past romances while attending a retrospective of his own work. Many elements of the film mirror Woody Allen's own feelings at the time, as his career progressed. The black and white cinematography is beautiful and the cast is great, including Woody Allen, Charlotte Rampling, Tony Roberts, Jessica Harper, Marie-Christine Barrault and Sharon Stone in a brief early role (as a smiling girl on a train).
Stardust Memories. 1980. Woody Allen
Stardust Memories. 1980. Woody Allen: Sharon Stone
Stardust Memories. 1980. Woody Allen: Sharon Stone
Stardust Memories. 1980. Woody Allen
Stardust Memories. 1980. Woody Allen and Charlotte Rampling
Stardust Memories. 1980. Woody Allen: Charlotte Rampling
Written and directed by Woody Allen, Sleeper (1973) showcases Allen's early near-slapstick style in it's finest form. Part Marx Brothers, part Charlie Chaplin, but all Woody Allen... the film depicts the strange circumstances faced by a health food store owner who was cryogenically frozen in 1973 and defrosted 200 years later into a weird future Dystopia. Woody Allen and Diane Keaton co-star, displaying the great on-screen chemistry for which their work together is famous.
