Manhattan (1979)

98% of critics liked it
(49 reviews)
91% of users liked it
(46,441 ratings)

On the heels of Annie Hall, the Oscar-winning romantic comedy that rocketed Woody Allen to the front ranks of American filmmakers, Manhattan continued Allen's romantic obsessions in a slightly darker, more pessimistic vein. Allen stars as Isaac Davis, a TV comedy writer sick of the pap he is forced… More On the heels of Annie Hall, the Oscar-winning romantic comedy that rocketed Woody Allen to the front ranks of American filmmakers, Manhattan continued Allen's romantic obsessions in a slightly darker, more pessimistic vein. Allen stars as Isaac Davis, a TV comedy writer sick of the pap he is forced to churn out and harboring dreams of being the great American novelist. His love life is in barbed-wire territory: he is tormented by his second ex-wife Jill (Meryl Streep), a lesbian who has written a tell-all book about their marriage, and he is dating teenager Tracy (Mariel Hemingway), to whom he refuses to commit, and keeps hinting that a breakup may be imminent. Isaac's disillusioned (and married) best friend Yale (Michael Murphy) has begun an affair with the cerebral writer Mary Wilke (Diane Keaton). While Isaac makes a last minute, sink-or-swim decision to quit his job and devote all of his time to book writing, and neurotically moans about what the lack of a full time job will do to him ("My parents won't have as good of a seat in the synagogue," he moans. "They'll be far away from God... away from the action") Yale is crippled by his lack of resolve, as indicated by his inability to leave his wife Emily (Anne Byrne). Meanwhile, Isaac and Mary begin to fall for one another. Tracy then tells Isaac the basic truth that none of his hung-up friends and past lovers fully realizes: "You have to have a little more faith in people." Manhattan is both a seriocomic dissection of perpetually dissatisfied New Yorkers and an ode to the city itself, filmed in glorious black-and-white by ace cinematographer Gordon Willis, and set to a score of rhapsodic George Gershwin music. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 36 min.
Directed By: Woody Allen
Written By: Woody Allen, Marshall Brickman
Genres: Drama, Romance, Comedy

In Theaters: Mar 14, 1979 Wide
On DVD: Jul 4, 2000
Studio: United Artists

Critic Reviews

J. Hoberman, Village Voice
Manhattan is not just Woody Allen's dream movie. Wistful as it is witty, it's his dream of the movies.
Variety Staff, Variety
Allen has, in black and white, captured the inner beauty that lurks behind the outer layer of dirt and grime in Manhattan.
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
Woody Allen's great leap forward into character development and dramatic integrity.
Vincent Canby, New York Times
Mr. Allen's progress as one of our major filmmakers is proceeding so rapidly that we who watch him have to pause occasionally to catch our breath.
James Berardinelli, ReelViews
If Manhattan was only a romantic comedy, it would be a very good one, but the fact that the movie has so much more ambition than the 'average' entry into the genre makes it an extraordinary example of the fusion of entertainment and art.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Seeing it again I realize it's more subtle, more complex, and not about love, but loss.
Bryant Frazer, Film Freak Central
Manhattan is one of the greatest films ever made, with a final passage that's truly devastating.
James Plath, Movie Metropolis
In "Manhattan," Allen has more to say about people, relationships, and human nature than he does in "Annie Hall" . . . but what he says, apart from a handful of hilarious lines, isn't as consistently funny.
Adam Lippe, Examiner.com
Manhattan is Allen's most fully realized film, especially in the way perspectives are developed. It's the rare movie that can be watched from a number of different points-of-view, without feeling cheated.
Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures
Allen's cynicism rears its head in this movie quite a bit, and in many ways he pokes fun at his own audience, though I doubt his die-hard fans catch it.
Jaime N. Christley, Slant Magazine
A veritable collector's set of Gotham iconography, Fox's Blu-ray of Woody's swooniest neurotic romance has plenty of slate-gray panache for the film's legions of ardent devotees.
Brian Gibson, Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada)
A film with a sharp look and some glinting lines. Still, it's the city that Isaac/Allen has a nostalgic faith in, not people, or love, or even the film itself.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Arguably this is Woody Allen's masterpiece, in which he revisits the themes of his bittersweet features and refines his distinctive serio-comic tone, not to mention Gordon's Willis brilliant b/w imagery and George Gershwin's evocative score.
, Film4
Allen's greatest film? Spend time in its company and you'll find it hard to argue otherwise.
Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]
Manhattan is a great film about love in and love for New York.
Joshua Rothkopf, Time Out New York
This is a deeply self-critical film about immaturity and the gift of real love. Many films can be said to put an epitaph on the decade, but few remain as relevant.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
One of Woody's more perceptive films.
David Parkinson, Empire Magazine
One of Woody's most aesthetically gorgeous films as well as his classic love-hate letter to the city of his soul.
Dan Jardine, Cinemania
A serious but funny film, both gorgeous and painful.
Dave Calhoun, Time Out
Woody Allen's gem of comic kvetching.

Read all 20 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

moon r

With lush background Gershwin tunes done by the New York Philharmonic and the foreground being the city itself shot in noir-ish black and white, and one has the makings of a classic cinema showpiece. Only at the heart of all this hugeness are intelligent people (who go to museums,… More
With lush background Gershwin tunes done by the New York Philharmonic and the foreground being the city itself shot in noir-ish black and white, and one has the makings of a classic cinema showpiece. Only at the heart of all this hugeness are intelligent people (who go to museums, discuss books, paintings, philosophical ideas, even sex ...) who know everything but themselves, lonely souls bitterly confused by their empty lifes, empty because of their low opinion of themselves. The smartest person in the film hasn't gone to college yet, is only 17 years old, only knows that when she is happy: keep it. What's Allen trying to say? Its an interesting conversation ...
Alexander D

Despite it being an artistic film, MANHATTAN is not in black-and-white to look like a pre-1960s film. I won't try to say that there haven't been these kinds of films; we've had YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK, and PLEASANTVILLE as crystal clear proof. The… More
Despite it being an artistic film, MANHATTAN is not in black-and-white to look like a pre-1960s film. I won't try to say that there haven't been these kinds of films; we've had YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD LUCK, and PLEASANTVILLE as crystal clear proof. The reason this 1979 comedy is in black-and-white is to illustrate the beauty of Manhattan, the most populous borough in New York City. The film opens humorously with a voice-over of our main character: "Chapter One. He adored New York City. He idolized it all out of proportion. Eh uh, no, make that he, he romanticized it all out of proportion. Better. To him, no matter what the season was, this was still a town that existed in black-and-white and pulsated to the great tunes of George Gershwin. Uh, no, let me start over." While Woody Allen is delivering this opening narration, we actually hear George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" in the background. In fact, the entire soundtrack to MANHATTAN consists of performances of 20th century jazz musician George Gershwin by both the New York Philharmonic and the Buffalo Philharmonic. The film is practically a love letter to Manhattan, the area in which it is set, and George Gershwin, Allen's inspiration for the film. It's by far the most artistically-fueled Allen work yet. There's so many things that make MANHATTAN a great movie, but it's a mystery to me why it's so lovable. Anyone who has seen two or three of Woody Allen's films is probably used to his wry humor. Maybe it's because of his subtle, sarcastic admittances, such as in one scene, when he confesses to his struggling teenage girlfriend about his "wry sense of humor." Or that other scene: "Bergman? Bergman's the only genius in cinema today." Yeah, right. http://themoviefreakblog.wordpress.com/2012/03/24/review-manhattan/
Thomas B

Truly amazing. Allen's most visually beautiful film with an incredible screenplay executed by a team of incredible actors. Full review later.
Anthony L

In my original review I said I liked it although I wasn't a particularly big fan of Woody Allen. Well, the more I see the more I like and on a re-watch of Manhattan - after spending last summer there also - I've upped my rating. It's not my favourite of his films so far… More
In my original review I said I liked it although I wasn't a particularly big fan of Woody Allen. Well, the more I see the more I like and on a re-watch of Manhattan - after spending last summer there also - I've upped my rating. It's not my favourite of his films so far but it's very of its time and like NY itself, has a certain magic about it.
Michael G

If Annie Hall has a less charming, pretentious but much more physically attractive sibling, then Manhattan is that sibling. Unfortunately this movie kind of personifies everything about Woody Allen that I've come to outgrow (the over-the-top neuroticism, the overtly pretentious… More
If Annie Hall has a less charming, pretentious but much more physically attractive sibling, then Manhattan is that sibling. Unfortunately this movie kind of personifies everything about Woody Allen that I've come to outgrow (the over-the-top neuroticism, the overtly pretentious caricatures/characters.) But for as annoying as Manhattan's characters are all is forgiven with Gordon Willis' truly, truly beautiful photography and Woody Allen's direction. Manhattan is definitely overrated but every hypnotic and mesmerizing work of art image puts you in a really forgiving mood by the end.
Tsubaki S

Woody before going senile. My only problem is that this was one of the few times i felt Woody should had cast somebody else in the lead role. It was a bit hard to believe that a character like Isaac could attract several good looking and smart women. One of them being 17 years old.… More
Woody before going senile. My only problem is that this was one of the few times i felt Woody should had cast somebody else in the lead role. It was a bit hard to believe that a character like Isaac could attract several good looking and smart women. One of them being 17 years old. Neverless, a good film about human relations.
Fernando Rafael Q

Not a bad movie, by any means, just not my favorite type of Woody Allen film. The caricaturesque Woody makes the screen shine every time he's in front of it, and from behind, he elicits wonderful performances from the incredible Diane Keaton and the underused Meryl Streep.… More
Not a bad movie, by any means, just not my favorite type of Woody Allen film. The caricaturesque Woody makes the screen shine every time he's in front of it, and from behind, he elicits wonderful performances from the incredible Diane Keaton and the underused Meryl Streep. Manhattan is based on a terrific, subtle script (albeit incredibly pretentious at times) and marked by the beautiful music of George Gershwin. The stunning black-and-white photography is the single greatest aspect of this classic film.
xGary X

A middle aged writer juggles relationships with a seventeen year old student, a journalist and his lesbian ex-wife to the backdrop of the New York City skyline. I don't think I can watch Woody Allen any more. Well, not the Allen responsible for this kind of self-absorbed,… More
A middle aged writer juggles relationships with a seventeen year old student, a journalist and his lesbian ex-wife to the backdrop of the New York City skyline. I don't think I can watch Woody Allen any more. Well, not the Allen responsible for this kind of self-absorbed, self-justifying pretentious bullshit. Manhattan is basically just a soap opera populated with terminally self-involved people whom I just wanted to punch in the face. I hated very single one of the smug, pretentious, modern artist name-dropping, modern jazz loving, therapist discussing, insufferable lot of them. I've always despised people like this and listening to them drone on about their relationships with one another made me want to spray the screen with indiscriminate automatic weapons fire. It's very attractively shot and the opening montage featuring the sights and sounds of New York made me want to drop everything and grab a flight there right now, but what followed made my bile levels reach critical mass. If you're one of "them", you'll probably love it though.
Steven C

Oh "Manhattan", it's so great because it's not even awkward that Woody Allen is dating a 17 year old. It's not even awkward that that relationship is the healthiest in the film. It's not even awkward that she is the voice of reason in the picture.… More
Oh "Manhattan", it's so great because it's not even awkward that Woody Allen is dating a 17 year old. It's not even awkward that that relationship is the healthiest in the film. It's not even awkward that she is the voice of reason in the picture. "Manhattan" is just so delightful and unexpected and ultimately honest and funny. Allen and Diane Keaton are extremely memorable (a visit to the planetarium is unforgettable) and Meryl Streep is fun as his bitter, lesbian, ex-wife. Vintage Woody Allen in all the best ways.
Lewis C

"Everyone gets corrupted. You have to have a little faith in people." First of all, I loved the decision to shoot this in black & white. It makes the city look completely beautiful, and it gives the whole thing a timeless feel. It suits the movie perfectly. Manhattan… More
"Everyone gets corrupted. You have to have a little faith in people." First of all, I loved the decision to shoot this in black & white. It makes the city look completely beautiful, and it gives the whole thing a timeless feel. It suits the movie perfectly. Manhattan is basically about people that don't want what they have. Until they don't have it, of course. Then they want it desperately. Woody Allen's character Isaac is the worst offender. He tosses away jobs and girlfriends on a whim or an inkling of something more appealing on the horizon. Most of other main characters aren't much better. The story is encompassed within that circle of friends and relationships. I didn't find Manhattan to be as relatable and appealing as some of Allen's other movies that I've seen. The humorous dialogue didn't seem to be as sharp as I've come to expect, and there was really only one remotely likeable character out of the lot. The ending is strong, thankfully, and that lessened the mild sense of disappointment that I felt about the film. Okay, but I don't consider it to be one of Woody's best.
First L

Woody Allen begins Manhattan with a voice-over, declaring his intimate love for the city, while a series of beautiful black-and-white shots takes us around the various locations of the city. The opening sequence ends with a breathtaking shot of fireworks going off, seemingly right… More
Woody Allen begins Manhattan with a voice-over, declaring his intimate love for the city, while a series of beautiful black-and-white shots takes us around the various locations of the city. The opening sequence ends with a breathtaking shot of fireworks going off, seemingly right inside the skyscrapers themselves. Somehow Woody Allen picks the perfect location and time for shooting this scene, and it's amazing footage. Underneath Allen's voice-over, we hear the old-timey jazz numbers that have become ubiquitous with his films and are peppered throughout the movie. It's rare to see a film evoke such passion for a location. Allen's manhattanites are also idealized, though in outward appearance only. Isaac (Allen) is a writer on a television sketch show (something along the lines of SNL), a job he doesn't like very much. He'd prefer to work on his book. His friend Yale (Michael Murphy) is also a writer, although of more intellectual pursuits. He's married but is also seeing someone on the side. Meanwhile, Isaac is dating a 17-year old high school student named Tracy (Mariel Hemingway), but he refuses to take her affection seriously as she's way too young. As he says "I'm older than her father... I'm dating a girl wherein, I can beat up her father". He's very attracted to Yale's mistress, the highly intellectual Mary (Diane Keaton). One gets the feeling this is the sort of New York Allen would like to live in; where the city is free from dirt and crime and the women are all beautiful intellectuals and love W.C. Fields movies. But it's far from the perfect universe: the film shows what happens when intellectual logic runs into irrational love, what happens when people who analyze everything are forced to look into themselves. Isaac is the only one in his world who refuses to morally compromise, so is it any wonder he looks to a 17-year old girl for love (the age when every kid is an idealist crusader)? It's an oddly logical love story.
Tim S

I fell in love with this movie upon my first viewing.
Dan S

One of the best romantic comedies I've seen. Allen makes all the right choices here, electing for a black and white backdrop instead of the traditional color scope, also spicing up this story with sharp dialogue and sound plotting. The ending is perfect in its own way too, not… More
One of the best romantic comedies I've seen. Allen makes all the right choices here, electing for a black and white backdrop instead of the traditional color scope, also spicing up this story with sharp dialogue and sound plotting. The ending is perfect in its own way too, not really a downer, nor a formulaic "everything's ok" moment, but instead he leaves you sort of hanging. Sometimes this is a terrible idea, but here, like the rest of the movie, it's a brilliant choice.
Alice S

Lush, layered, and lovely. My #2. Even though Woody never thinks of himself as an actor, I see it in him the most with this film. And I don't know if the tracking shot of Isaac running was an homage to Truffaut's Les Quatre Cents Coups, but I find it… More
Lush, layered, and lovely. My #2. Even though Woody never thinks of himself as an actor, I see it in him the most with this film. And I don't know if the tracking shot of Isaac running was an homage to Truffaut's Les Quatre Cents Coups, but I find it funny that he even runs like Antoine Doinel.
Sarah G

Director:Woody Allen Released: 1979 Stars: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Anne Byrneand Meryl Streep Genre: Romance, Drama Country: USA <a… More
Director:Woody Allen Released: 1979 Stars: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Anne Byrneand Meryl Streep Genre: Romance, Drama Country: USA <a href="http://s137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/sarah88_uk/?action=view¤t=MANHATTAN.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q202/sarah88_uk/MANHATTAN.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a> Isaac, 42, has divorced Jill. She is now living with another woman, Connie, and is writing a book in which she will reveal some very private points of their relationship. Isaac has a love affair with Tracy, 17, when he meets Mary, the mistress of his best friend Yale. Yale is already married to Emily Review coming soon
Elvira B

In Manhattan, Woody Allen becomes ecstatic. Everything about Manhattan is ecstatic. It isn't a departure from the usual themes of his films: Woody playing someone a lot like himself, living situations that concern love, death, beauty, sadness, failure, insecurity, choices. He… More
In Manhattan, Woody Allen becomes ecstatic. Everything about Manhattan is ecstatic. It isn't a departure from the usual themes of his films: Woody playing someone a lot like himself, living situations that concern love, death, beauty, sadness, failure, insecurity, choices. He sort of takes everything that constitutes human lives and uses it to make a film about just that, life. Manhattan is alive in every sense, and it's also so beautiful. Its black and white cinematography is pretty legendary. I love Woody Allen's films because of the characters, mainly, and of course the dialog. I love how the script is not condescending, how takes last more than just one minute and conversations have beginnings, developments, and ends. Allen isn't concerned that the audience's attention span is too short, or that it might get upset or bored because the characters onscreen are talking about Mahler and Bergman or things that it doesn't know. Manhattan is intelligent, and maybe a little pretentious, but never too self-aware or too smartass, it just exists the way it is. Allen reflects upon every aspect of his existence with wit, honesty, and enthusiasm for making ordinary life a little more grandiose. His life is New York City, and so he elevates it and praises it. He declares his love for it, for music, for Bergman, for women... And he does so so stylishly, and with a sincerity so much like a child's, that it's difficult not to get carried away in the spirit of celebration. I had very high expectations, but they were all fulfilled and outdone.
Drew S

Woody Allen is a sleaze. I kept thinking about how he married his adopted daughter as I watched him court a 17-year-old. The man used to write like a fucking riot (and I'm sure he still can...maybe), but he plays the exact same neurotic intellectual Jew in every single movie he… More
Woody Allen is a sleaze. I kept thinking about how he married his adopted daughter as I watched him court a 17-year-old. The man used to write like a fucking riot (and I'm sure he still can...maybe), but he plays the exact same neurotic intellectual Jew in every single movie he shoehorns himself into. I really did not like him in this movie. The way he tried to control everyone and everything around him, and without much irony to it, rubbed me completely the wrong way. I know they can't all be Annie Halls, but it's not like I was expecting them to be. This isn't adult movie-making, it's a bunch of damaged narcissists having affairs with each other and quipping nonstop about it. Even the visual style is flat, and no I'm not saying that because it's in black and white, I'm saying it because it's not all that interesting a film to look at. Allen's not the strongest visual director in the world, but he's done better work than this. Anyway, I'm not sold on this one. I just don't think I'll ever be an Allen fan.
Ken S

Beautiful photography..so so story and not as funny as Annie Hall...still a great movie...maybe it was just a little to overhyped for me.
Aaron N

Isaac Davis: I think people should mate for life, like pigeons or Catholics. As with Annie Hall, another wonderful Woody Allen film. For me, what makes this film maybe slightly better is it's cinematic tone, shot in black & white, using widescreen, and filled with a great… More
Isaac Davis: I think people should mate for life, like pigeons or Catholics. As with Annie Hall, another wonderful Woody Allen film. For me, what makes this film maybe slightly better is it's cinematic tone, shot in black & white, using widescreen, and filled with a great score by George Gershwin, it's also one of Allen's more stylish films. The story revolves around the battlefield that is Allen's romantic life while living in Manhattan. He once again plays a middle-aged writer who starts the story in the midst of his relationship with a much younger girl played by Mariel Hemingway. Isaac Davis: She's 17. I'm 42 and she's 17. I'm older than her father, can you believe that? I'm dating a girl, wherein, I can beat up her father. Meanwhile, his life is about to suffer more due to his ex-wife, played by Meryl Streep, who is about to publish a book about their break up, she had also left him for another woman. The main story leads to the woman Allen's married friend is having an affair with. This woman is played by Diane Keaton as a smart but troubled person, who Allen himself at first can't stand, but becomes very invested with. Isaac Davis: You know what you are? You're God's answer to Job, y'know? You would have ended all argument between them. I mean, He would have pointed to you and said, y'know, "I do a lot of terrible things, but I can still make one of these." You know? And then Job would have said, "Eh. Yeah, well, you win." What brings this all together is the dialog is very good, which is only natural for an Allen film, but here it makes the movie very watchable. That along with the reason why this movie is called Manhattan, because it does a great job of showing off the area. Great long shots of various locations amidst the lines being spoken. Yale: You are so self-righteous, you know. I mean we're just people. We're just human beings, you know? You think you're God. Isaac Davis: I... I gotta model myself after someone. Allen, who always hates his own performances, is in top form as Isaac, building great chemistry between all the other characters. Keaton is very good playing somewhat against type. And Mariel Hemingway, who was nominated here, is really a good sport to keep up with Allen's neuoroticism. This works very well as a romantic comedy drama, that also looks and sounds great. Mary Wilke: Don't psychoanalyze me. I pay a doctor for that. Isaac Davis: Hey, you call that guy that you talk to a doctor? I mean, you don't get suspicious when your analyst calls you at home at three in the morning and weeps into the telephone? Mary Wilke: All right, so he's unorthodox. He's a highly qualified doctor. Isaac Davis: He's done a great job on you, y'know. Your self esteem is like a notch below Kafka's.
Pierluigi P

Woody Allen's masterpiece. perfect x-ray of the neurotic incurable romantic in the search of emotional stability. A charming ode to the big apple. outstanding screenplay, performances and photography.