Hannah and Her Sisters [Blu-ray]

`Hannah and Her Sisters' by writer/director Woody Allen is certainly among the top five of Allen's best films, along with `Annie Hall', `Crimes and Misdemeanors', `Manhattan', and `Take the Money and Run'. It is certainly one of my favorites, although I think it is just a bit less tight than the later `Crimes and Misdemeanors' with which it shares a lot of themes and a similarly enormous cast of familiar faces.One of the most important similarities between the two movies is that there are two parallel, but connected plots and Allen's character is central to the lesser of the two plots, given as much to provide comic relief as to move the story onward. Also in both movies, Allen plays an only modestly successful entertainment business creative player who is not incompetent, but who is not doing well. Both `Hannah...' and `Crimes...' give Allen's character a major love interest and I am very pleased with the fact that `Hannah...' ends with a happy resolution to all the movie's issues. One can be certain that new crises will arise for these characters the day after the final scene, but at least for us, they are all in a good place. That sentence has unwittingly shown an important fact about this movie. We care for these characters. We may not be too concerned about the fate of Carrie Fisher, Max Von Sydow, Tony Roberts, Daniel Stern, Maureen O'Sullivan, Lloyd Nolan, or John Turturro who appear on the screen for just a few minutes. But, we really develop a strong interest in the fates of the characters played by Allen, Michael Caine, Mia Farrow, Barbara Hershey and Dianne Wiest. While Allen is simply playing his usual nebbish, I cannot for the life of me see how the Academy Awards singled out Wiest from the performances of Caine and Farrow, which I think are equally strong.Like all of Allen's movies since `Manhattan', the jokes are much better integrated into the story and they are much less predictable than the sight gag of Allen's pistol carved from a bar of soap turning into a handful of suds in the rain in `Take the Money and Run'. This makes them both more fun and droller, as when the very serious Max Von Sydow says he does not sell his paintings by the yard. Allen also continues to use wordless visual gags as when he empties a sack of Catholic religious items, finishing up with a loaf of Wonder bread and Hellman's mayonnaise.New York City plays almost as big a part in this movie as it does in `Manhattan', with the gimmick of an architect's showing off his favorite buildings as a way of giving us a tour of some of Manhattan's more attractive sights. Even the gritty Greenwich Village streets give up some of their charm as Caine chases down Barbara Hershey in order to bump into her with a rationale for her to show him to a nearby used book shop.We can also add this to the list of the many Allen movies where one or more characters, especially Allen's character, end up in a theatre watching a classic film. In this case, it's the Marx brothers in `Duck Soup', arguably one of their funniest.If you are not a rabid Woody Allen fan, I would recommend this movie above almost all others for purchase. Like all his films, there are virtually no special features, but the movie is longer than average and has one of his very best stories and very best collection of characters.

Allen's best movie to this date. Imop

At the end of "Hannah and Her Sisters" the Woody Allen character summarizes the film. The delightful irony is that he is right, but not in the way you thought for most of the film. Of course, given the twists of fate that awaited Allen and Mia Farrow in the years following this film there are degrees of irony in viewing this film now, albeit not as profound as watching "Manhattan." What makes "Hannah and Her Sisters" Allen's best film is indeed the way things come together at the end in a surprising way. The truly sentimental conclusion is what puts it at the top of my personal Woody Allen list: you have to admit, you are stunned to find yourself weeping at the end of one of his movies.There are dramatic moments in this film-dramatic in terms of the consequences for the characters-that are the finest Allen has crafted. They are definitely superior to the forced effort in Allen's one "dramatic" effort, "Interiors." Being able to play in both ballparks, comedy and drama, has become something of a post-modern ideal, springing forth from television programs in the "dramedy" genre like "All in the Family" and "M*A*S*H." The non-Allen characters have more depth here than you usually find in his films, which is probably due as much to the consummate acting as the writing (since Allen often gives great improvisational leeway). Favorite small moments in this film: Allen's shopping bag of religious items and Max Von Sydow's riposte on the Nazis, not to mention the request for sperm and a special appearance by the Marx Brothers.On a personal note, there are scenes in this film that continue to stick out in my memory and the ending always brings a tear to my eyes, and I can not say similar things about "Platoon," which beat out this film for the Best Picture Oscar. I say this knowing full well that Allen was not going to win having already had success with "Annie Hall," but that was a period in time when the films I thought were deserving of the Oscar were getting beat by what I considered to be lesser works.

Thanksgiving with the family is always a time of unrest and uncertainty. And, in this film, it starts slowly, but soon we are engrossed in the entire lives of Hannah and her sisters and their men.Hannah played by Mia Farrow, is an actress, stay at home mom, married to an accountant played by Michael Caine. They hold the Thanksgiving dinners where everyone meets. Lee, Hannah's sister, played by Barbara Hershey, lives with an eccentric artist. The other sister, Holly, is played by Diane Weist, she is a recovering cocaine addict and always needs money. Elliott, the accountant thinks he is in love with Lee, though he really loves Hannah. He and Lee have an affair that drags on. Holly finally finds her place with script writing. The entire family is upset, and the issue becomes unsettling. Carrie Fisher plays a small part as Holly's partner in a catering service.What we have is a mess, here, sheriff. Each of the sisters is trying to find her way. Woody Allen plays Hannah's ex husband, a neurotic as always, but he is at his best in this film. As each member of the family tries to find their way, life has more meaning. Secrets are told, and secrets kept, and in the midst, wonderfully revealing stories and solutions are found. This is said to be Woody Allan's best film, and it was a captivating afternoon.Recommended. prisrob 12-28-16

This is one of my favorite Woody comedies. He makes me SO uncomfortable these days, tho. It's a challenge to separate the adult woman from the girl child, so no one discusses the whole debacle anymore. And it should be discussed, however often is necessary.

I know it's probably not PC to like Woody Allen anymore - but this movie is a gem. Top notch performances - especially from Oscar winners Diande Weist and Michael Caine. Story is genuinely funny - Woody, Mia, Max, and Barbara are all at the top of their game. I never get tired of watching this movie.

Ho regalato il dvd e ho la certezza che ci sia l'audio in italiano, nonostante la copertina sia in polacco. È stato molto apprezzato🔝

Sehr schöner Film. Diese DVD habe ich längst erhalten. Eine erneute Bestellung will ich deshalb Nicht!

More serious than funny!

Totalmente satisfecho con el producto. Recomendable a tope. Buenas tardes. Hace buen dia. Me gusta el pollo frito muy hecho

HANNAH and Her SISTERSThe burgeoning Woody blossoms in this triple Oscar winning, 1984 comedic drama of an artsy fartsy family living on Manhattan's Upper West Side and talking out their existential yuppie conflicts. Woody writes about what he knows best --- himself --- and loves best --- Manhattan.He casts himself as the spermatogenically challenged husband of real life pal, Mia Farrow playing Hannah, going from religion to religion in his hypochondriacal angst of impending mortality.Woody divorced Hannah, leaving her with a donor's kids. Hannah marries Michael Caine as Elliot. While loving Hannah with terminal tenacity, Elliot falls head over heels in lust for her youngest sister, Lee, played by Barbara Hershey, who is living with cerebral graphic artist and father-figure, Max von Sydow. With her credit card maintained by Hannah, middle sister Holly, played by Dianne Wiest, is called to vocation to vocation in search of herself. As Hannah's parents, Lloyd Nolan and Maureen O'Sullivan lament falling short of their life goals. Only soap is missing.In satisfying resolutions typical of classic comedy, Woody marries Holly and finds his paternity, Elliot finds his wife, and Lee finds an unencumbered lover. The intimate vignettes are worth watching for Woody's witty dialogue and inimitable subtextual interplay.HANNAH will be appreciated best by fans who have followed Woody's life and loves from WHAT'S NEW, PUSSYCAT and WHAT'S UP, TIGER LILY through SLEEPER and LOVE AND DEATH, to Oscar-winning ANNIE HALL, MANHATTAN, and his current European city series set in Barcelona with Scarlett Johansson, and Paris.The French and Spanish dubbings are lively, but not translated literally in the subtitles; are they ever? Missing from this heavily discounted AMAZON disc are special features that should be included with developing genius; look in DVD listings for a 2-disc biography of Allen.TP