Manhattan Murder mystery is the proof that Woody Allen is a great storyteller and that he is capable of surprise.
The movie starts with the banal life of a middle-aged couple, and you feel instantly the weight of routine and boredom looming. The movie then turns the situation around very slowly and carefully when Diane Keaton goes completely psycho and starts investigating her neighbour for murder.
The movie had me, when at mid-point; you start to understand that the adventure she build for herself is actually a way to escape her mundane life with Woody Allen. The cherry on top being that it also a way to reignite a missed romance with Alan Alda. The movie had many interesting things going at that point. You start understanding that Woody and her are incompatible romantically and that her Manhattan life is not the fulfilment she thought it would be.
The movie almost immediately drops that idea the moment it is established. It then proceeds with the crime satire and resorts to slapstick kind of humour, and a style that is more reminiscent of parody. It almost feels that the movie was afraid of being serious, and that is why I think it rather dull. It could have used a bit more edge. A bit more about what are Diane Keaton's feelings and why.
The second part is not inherently bad, and it delivers some good laughs but it really pales in comparison with the rich texture of the first part. Once the murder mystery is established as real, the stakes are paradoxically lowered. There is no real reason for any of these characters to care what Paul House did or did not do.
In the second part, the murder plot becomes more interesting yet the characters are relegated to the side. That is why I felt a bit cheated in a way; I would have preferred to have a resolve on the Keaton-Alda-Allen love triangle, rather than framing grandpa Jerry Adler. That being said, the movie is technically very well done and the pacing feels effortless. There are a lot of things shot on the street and in numerous staircases and apartments, and it feels real and authentic. The second part is visually more interesting as well, not only does it involves more people, but it also changes locales frequently. The fun part is that the locations are used in the plot, which again gives the story realism.
At the end, this movie started one way and finished in another, and yet it remained fun. The only regret is that it not would commit to one aspect and resolve it more clearly. Take the Allen-Keaton relationship and put it under stress through the mystery or take this random couple in a regular life and propel them in a wild ride. What we are left with is neither.
The movie had me, when at mid-point; you start to understand that the adventure she build for herself is actually a way to escape her mundane life with Woody Allen. The cherry on top being that it also a way to reignite a missed romance with Alan Alda. The movie had many interesting things going at that point. You start understanding that Woody and her are incompatible romantically and that her Manhattan life is not the fulfilment she thought it would be.
The movie almost immediately drops that idea the moment it is established. It then proceeds with the crime satire and resorts to slapstick kind of humour, and a style that is more reminiscent of parody. It almost feels that the movie was afraid of being serious, and that is why I think it rather dull. It could have used a bit more edge. A bit more about what are Diane Keaton's feelings and why.
The second part is not inherently bad, and it delivers some good laughs but it really pales in comparison with the rich texture of the first part. Once the murder mystery is established as real, the stakes are paradoxically lowered. There is no real reason for any of these characters to care what Paul House did or did not do.
In the second part, the murder plot becomes more interesting yet the characters are relegated to the side. That is why I felt a bit cheated in a way; I would have preferred to have a resolve on the Keaton-Alda-Allen love triangle, rather than framing grandpa Jerry Adler. That being said, the movie is technically very well done and the pacing feels effortless. There are a lot of things shot on the street and in numerous staircases and apartments, and it feels real and authentic. The second part is visually more interesting as well, not only does it involves more people, but it also changes locales frequently. The fun part is that the locations are used in the plot, which again gives the story realism.
At the end, this movie started one way and finished in another, and yet it remained fun. The only regret is that it not would commit to one aspect and resolve it more clearly. Take the Allen-Keaton relationship and put it under stress through the mystery or take this random couple in a regular life and propel them in a wild ride. What we are left with is neither.