Forty-two year old comedy writer Isaac (Allen) is in a relationship with a
beautiful 17-year-old high school student, that is until until he starts hooking
up with his best friend's mistress. That's pretty much the entire film, but it's
all somebody with the storytelling genius of Woody Allen needs to create a
wonderful and involving film. When we first meet Isaac he's hanging out with his
young lover and his best friend and his best friend's wife. The friend tells
Isaac that he's secretly having an affair. As luck would have it, not too long
afterwards Isaac runs into the friend and his mistress while at an art gallery.
Isaac takes an instant disliking to her (she insulted Ingmar Bergman!!!!!), but
underneath his hatred is the coiled sexual power of a jungle cat and it's only a
matter of time before they're screwing so great.
Screws so great? Screws so great.MANHATTAN is an excellent film, but I guess it wasn't excellent enough for The Academy Awards that year because they didn't even nominate it for Best Picture! Then again the real Best Picture of 1979 (ALIEN) didn't get nominated either, so what the fuck do I know? I'm just some asshole who spends too much time and stays up way too late writing bullshit that nobody reads...but let's be more optimistic. Well, all right, why is life worth living? That's a very good question. Um, well, there are certain things, I...I guess, that make it worthwhile. Uh, like what? Okay...um for me...uh. Oh, I would say, what, Robert McCammon to name one thing. And um and John Steinbeck and...um... the...The Beatles...and um, death metal...Swedish movies naturally..."The Earth" by Emile Zola, umm...Jack Lemmon, Flannery O'Connor...umm those incredible Apples and Pears by Cezanne...uh..the crabs at Sam Wo's...Rambo and Susie's furry little faces.
[Update 2018: add Charlie's furry little face to the list.]
