Manhattan Murder Mystery | Woody Allen, Diane Keaton

Manhattan Murder Mystery | Woody Allen, Diane Keaton | Excellent and funny

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The Lovin' Spoonfu... Sharp R-216FS 800-... Dropping in with A... Nutramax Laborator... Manhattan Murder M...

	Manhattan Murder Mystery Woody Allen, Diane Keaton Sony Pictures, 1998 average customer review:based on 70 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

"Goodbye, Mrs. House"

Okay, okay, so I know that MANHATTAN MURDER MYSTERY has always been regarded -- by prevailing opinion, at any rate -- as a lesser Woody Allen film, unfit to be considered among the heyday gems such as ANNIE HALL, MANHATTAN, HANNAH AND HER SISTERS, and CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS, but who cares about prevailing opinion anyway? This film is very funny and certainly one of my favorites. (Is that blasphemy?) Although it certainly doesn't have much of a deep message camouflaged behind the one-liners, it is a lot of fun; it even seems like the actors had a lot of fun making it -- which seems somewhat incredible in light of the fact that it was filmed in the deep, dark shadow of the Mia Farrow-Soon Yi Previn scandal. (A recent biography, obviously slanted in Allen's favor, reported that, even after the scandal, Mia Farrow still intended to play the Diane Keaton character in this film and was surprised that she was replaced. In the Farrow version of the film, the couple's characteristics were reversed: Allen was the snoop, and Farrow was the skeptic.)

I've seen all of Allen's films, from the great (HUSBAND AND WIVES, for example) to the barely endurable (CURSE OF THE JADE SCORPION comes to mind), and I've seen most of them several times, but MMM is the one I always keep coming back to... the cinematic equivalent of comfort food. The storyline? It's really beside the point, I guess, since it's just a backdrop for Allen and Keaton's very funny interactions as a bored, aging, and -- need it be mentioned? -- neurotic New York City couple. One night, returning from a evening out, they meet their neighbors, the Houses, in the elevator and then join them for coffee. Soon after, Mrs. House drops dead -- or so it seems. But Keaton's character suspects foul play and embarks as an amateur sleuth, much to her husband's dismay. She's convinced that Mr. House is a little "too perky," as she puts it, after his longtime wife's sudden demise, and she stops at nothing to prove her instincts are right.

I have a bad habit -- an affliction, really. I quote movie lines. Yes, I'm one of "those" people. Along with HALLOWEEN (don't ask), I think I quote from MMM more than any other film. There are lots of great lines here, especially when Allen's character become flustered at his wife's often extreme (and illegal, by the way) tactics in solving the mystery -- if it is in fact a mystery at all. He reminds her at one point of her previous stint in psychotherapy, and how, just like a car, maybe it's time for tune-up. This captures Allen's perplexity nicely at Keaton's increasingly aggressive detective work, including a stake-out with a torch-carrying friend played by Alan Alda.

The thing that makes MMM a great movie, without question, is the chemistry between Diane Keaton and Woody Allen. There is such a naturalness in their exchanges that it is difficult to believe that they have not been long-married, and their timing, tics, and mannerisms perfectly evoke a marriage in its doldrums needing a "shot of adrenaline" to enliven it again. (I've made my point. I love this movie. I'll shut up now.)

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Excellent and funny

I've never been a Woody Allen fan (which is why I only recently watched this film), but this one is truly excellent. A romantic comedy paying homage to Read Window and nosey neighbors.

I highly recommend this one!

Neurotic neighbors in NYC.

This film will appeal to anyone who has ever had a kooky neighbor. Woody Allen's 1993 screwball-comedy, Manhattan Murder Mystery, tells the story of neurotic Manhattan book editor Larry Lipton (Allen), who is drawn into a murder mystery by his equally neurotic wife, Carol (Diane Keaton). (Keaton's role was originally written for Mia Farrow, who dropped out of the film when she and Allen were separating.) Carol becomes suspicious about the death of a neighbor in their luxury high-rise apartment building, and begins losing sleep while fretting over possible homicide theories. Larry believes the best neighbors are those who mind their own business. Anjelica Huston and Alan Alda play friends who also get drawn into Carol's obsession. In the end, Manhattan Murder Mystery is not so much a murder mystery as a comedy about neurotic neighbors living in close quaters. While Allen and Keaton recreate characters similar to their parts in Annie Hall, Manhattan Murder Mystery is less brilliant than that film.

G. Merritt

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REAR WINDOW, PLEASE!

Woody Allen has spent his career paying homage to various genres that have influenced him since childhood. Or that he just plain liked. Here he tips his hat to the amateur sleuth murder mystery. The plot centers on the mysteriously doings of his apartment building neighbors. Spurred on by his wife (played by Diane Keaton) and pal (played by Alan Alda) he gets caught up in the mystery more to save his marriage than anything else. This movie reminds me mostly of Alfred Hitchcock's famous Rear Window from the 1950's in its plot line but with a 1990's sensibility. But as always not to worry there is plenty of social commentary/ humor of the well -know Allen type. Do you absolutely need to see this movie? No, you absolutely need to see Annie Hall or Manhattan, films made in Allen's prime. But this one is okay if you need a little funny sardonic entertainment.

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