24. Bullets Over Broadway (1994)
Few filmmakers are as preoccupied with genius and its trappings as Woody Allen. This funny, though flawed, film focuses on the behaviors that artists believe they're entitled to once they've been validated as geniuses. Chazz Palminteri's performance, as a gangster who turns out to be a brilliant playwright, is inspired.
23. Sweet And Lowdown (1999)
Allen strayed from his comfort zone to direct this dramatic picture about a troubled jazz musician, a somewhat bright spot in his '90s work. Allen's personal passion for jazz comes across in the film's period-perfect music, but Sweet And Lowdown's leads, Sean Penn and Samantha Morton, really carry it.
22. Radio Days (1987)
Similar in tone to the stronger Purple Rose of Cairo, Radio Days was another mid-'80s Allen picture that dealt romantically — critics might say sentimentally — with the escapes provided by entertainment. Its semi-autobiographical nature is obvious in the way that Allen so lovingly and confidently captures the milieu — a big Jewish family living in Rockaway Beach in the '30s.
21. Anything Else (2003)
This was one of Allen's most hated films of the past decade, but unjustly so. While it certainly pillages from the Allen canon (especially Annie Hall), it's not bad when viewed out of that context. Jason Biggs's performance doesn't exactly hide why his career's turned out the way it has, but Christina Ricci is bewitching, and Allen sparkles as the wack-job pseudo-mentor to Biggs. The scene where Allen takes a tire iron to a car windshield is one of the best he's ever performed in.
20. Bananas (1971)
This film is often grouped alongside Love and Death and Sleeper as the best of Woody's "early, funny ones," and while it's the earliest (and weakest) of the three, it still offers up its fair share of laughs, including an absurdist turn by Howard Cosell that, sadly, has severely dated the film. The scene where Woody's guerilla leader orders lunch for his army — "500 grilled cheeses, one with tomato" — is priceless.
19. Vicky Cristina Barcelona(2008)
A Woody picture making money! Again! After Match Point's success a few years earlier, this picture's reception made it clear that Allen's European sojourn had resuscitated his career to a degree. Light on the one-liners and heavy on the theatrics, the film could only have worked with hot-blooded performers like Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz — but it did. It also features a breakout performance from Rebecca Hall.
18. Everyone Says I Love You (1996)
Perhaps the last time Woody really pushed himself in terms of genre exploration, this film is a comedy-musical hybrid not unlike the ensemble pictures he loved as a youth. It works better than you might expect, with a surprisingly touching performance of "I'm Through With Love" from the director himself. A few roles do seem miscast — never has Edward Norton been more toothless — but the neurotic Upper West Side Jewish clan is written with zest.
17. Hollywood Ending (2002)
One of Allen's most underrated films, Hollywood Ending was reviled when it was released, but the concept is intrinsically funny — a director trying to make a Hollywood film while blind — and Allen runs with it nicely. Treat Williams is excellent as the sleazebag Hollywood producer.
Commentarium (95 Comments)
When the great ones are this great, the bad ones are easily forgiven.
As I watched Melinda and Melinda, I thought it was the worst Woody Allen movie ever made. I still think it's worse than you gave it credit for. What an awful film.
Also Scoop was awful. It should not have been above Bullets Over Broadway, no way no how.
"Radio Days" probably belongs in the top five. I'm not sure why you rank it so poorly. I also like "Alice" a lot better than you do, and "Scoop" a lot less.
"What's Up Tiger Lilly?" is severely underrated here.
While every list is going to create disagreement (it's sort of the point of lists); this one is light years better than the Apatow one put out last week. You can tell the author is a true Allen fan (for god sake, he's seen all 41 Allen flicks. I've only seen about two-thirds, and I think that's pretty stupendous).
Reading the Apatow list, you got the feeling the writers hadn't even seen many of the Apatow movies.
Match point was really slow and boring.
1. Annie Hall
2. Manhattan
3. Deconstructing Harry
Hey! Where's "Play it Again, Sam"?
He wrote it and starred in it, but didn't direct it, and we figured this list was massive enough.
This ranking is mostly ridiculous. The top 2 are right (would be hard not to make these two the top 2) but a lot of the rest is just plain wrong. VCB was an overrated flick with no story at all, it seemed like Woody just wanted to film his vacation with some hot young actresses to Spain.
Whatever works was one if not the best Allen films in the last 20 years, since he finally got the idea that the only person who could replace him is Larry David. I still wonder what took him so long, and why he tried Will Ferell first...
I liked Whatever Works too. I was surprised to see it so low.
Excellent movie!
Celebrity was really great, I thought. Stardust Memories ought to have been #1!
I liked Celebrity more than most too. Winona Ryder is just so PRETTY!
Annie Hall and Husbands & Wives are tied for my favorite.
I found Match Point unwatchable. I hated it. Surprised to see it ranked so high.
'Husbands And Wives' gets my vote for best; 'Hollywood Ending' gets my vote for worst.
I'm pretty surprised 'Interiors' rated so low; it's still in my top five. I'm also pretty surprised 'Celebrity' rates so high (relatively.)
I just want to mention that it was sheep not a goat. Also that is one of my favorite scenes in the movie.
You forgot "The Front!" One of my favorites.
Allen didn't direct it.
I really appreciate the time you put on this. Great list. Crimes & Misdemeanors was an excellent movie and should have been ranked higher. No way does Match Point make it into the top 10.
Thanks again!
I'm glad to see Manhattan Murder Mystery in the top 11. I love that stupid movie.
Re 25: it's not a typo if it's handwritten.
Match Point outranking Crimes and Misdemeanors? Earlier in the article you criticize Allen for ripping himself off, and here he does it with less dopier characters and you call it an improvement? Crimes and Misdemeanors is Allen's masterpiece. Compared with it, most of his other movies seem like he was trying stuff out to see if it worked.
This is not a list of the funniest; maybe 'best reviewed', 'most artistic', whatever. But funniest? That is a subjective criteria, for sure, but EYAWTKASBWATA, Bananas, and What's Up, Tiger Lily should all be at the top, not a "dark take on human nature..."
"What's Up, Tiger Lily?" belongs in the top 10.
I definitely agree !
I think Match Point is actually one of his worst films. Jonathan Rys Meyers (sp?) is awful and robotic.
I love this! Most of the reviews are spot-on, my only changes would be to drop Match Point down a notch or two and bring Love & Death up to the top 5.
Agree with Love & Death getting a better placement as well.
1. Annie Hall
2. Manhattan
3. Crimes & Misdemeanors
4. Love & Death
5. Husbands and Wives
The line in Love & Death about "wheat" is hilarious.
Stopped reading when I saw you put the brilliant 'Interiors' at 30. It was a change of direction, sure. But its brilliant.
i agree. Interiors is among top 5 for me.
"What's Up, Tiger Lily?" all the way at the bottom? It might not be for everyone, sure, but one of his WORST movies? Really?
though, otherwise, pretty spot on from what i've seen.
You forget Play it Again Sam. A real gem. Top 10.
Thanks for the list.
Radio Days is slight, but wall-to-wall laughs; I'm astonished it's not ranked higher. Like many above, despite a lifetime spent watching and mostly loving Woody's work, I find Match Point nearly unwatchable. To rank it higher than Crimes and Misdemeanors--the film from which its plot is recycled, far less successfully--is outrageous. C&M is certainly one of Woody's three masterworks, along with Manhattan and Hannah, and Alan Alda's performance alone elevates it above Allen's faux-Euro dreck. But you did give Zelig the props it deserves, which delighted me no end.
My suggested top 5, though the top 3 could apear in almost any order, depending on how cynical I feel from day to day:
5. Annie Hall
4. Husbands and Wives
3. Manhattan
2. Hannah and her Sisters
1. Crimes and Misdemeanors
Woody didn't actually direct "Play It Again, Sam" or "The Front." Just starred.
I agree that "Annie Hall" is the best of Woody Allen. He started out with his own style of comedy ("Bananas," "Tiger Lily," "Start the Revolution...")) and then took himself way too seriously. The resulting films have been pretentious bores; it always amazes me this man is able to get financing for his films when they don't manage to play longer than a week in most theaters. Despite being a film geek, I was blown away that that were three or four movies I'd never even heard of listed; I'm wondering if these even got a release at all.
Am I the only person who was sorely disappointed by Annie Hall? After seeing some of his other classics (e.g., Hannah and Her Sisters), I expected to at least enjoy it... but I found it dreadfully boring and not particularly memorable. I get that some of it has to do with context and when it came out, and I know what seems like cliche now may not have been so then, but seriously, I don't see what is so spectacular about it. It just felt tedious.
I suppose it doesn't help that I always find the worst parts of Woody Allen movies are Woody Allen himself.
yes, you're the only one
Match Point was atrocious!!!
It's a sheep, not a goat. That fact that it is a sheep sets up the ending with Wilder on the street corner drinking Woolite. You have just lost all credibility.
Stupid and self-important, the reviewer here, not Mr. Allen. This list is hopelessly inept, with exception of the rather obvious top 5, minus "Match Point", of course, which should probably be in the late teens. And he was already a household name before "Sex", which, by the way, featured a sheep in the Gene Wilder segment, not a goat. Shows you just how observant this "expert" is.
Obviously it's easy to quibble with a list like this.
But let me just add my humble 2 cents:
"Crimes and Misdemeanors" and "Hannah" are both masterpieces. So are "Annie" and "Manhattan". I wouldn't be able to choose the best. I guess they all have to be tied for number one.
"Another Woman" is a great movie. Much higher. "Radio Days" higher too.
I'm glad you liked "Everyone Says I Love You". Very much an under-appreciated movie.
And "A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy"? That's a very fine movie too. You're just way wrong about that one.
I totally agree. "Another Woman" got hosed. It's a MUCH better movie than #20whatever...
I agree
I am so sad about Cassandra's Dream being the worst. I thought it was a great movie with compelling and moving performances by both Ewen McGregor and Colin Ferrell. It was a great story, original, a lot of depth and meaning. So.. that's just like, your opinion, man. However, your article was a great read and very informative. I have a list now of movies I haven't seen but jotted down as I was reading. Thank you for the time and effort you put into it.
As much as I love Larry David I do agree about Whatever Works, the Evan Rachel Wood character was terrible and horribly acted. Her accent wasn't believable at all nor was the romance between the two. The character Larry David played could have been great in a different movie with a different plot, I bet WA could have developed a great story around him if he were so inclined.
I sort of agree with you re Cassandra's Dream...for me the best part of it was how Philip Glass wrote the music! What a cool convergence of artists!!!
Agree with Annie Hall and Manhattan but not Match Point.
And Vicky Cristina Barcelona at no 19! Should be much higher!
Excellent, excellent list. I'm so glad you didn't try to be all hip and cool by doing something stupid like not ranking Annie Hall #1. It's definitely his best and without question one of the greatest films of all time.
And I am surprised that so many disagree with Match Point. I absolutely LOVE this film. I've been a huge Woody Allen fan for 20 years and have seen all but one or two of the movies on this list, and I totally agree with the top 5. My list would be slightly different though:
1. Annie Hall
2. Match Point
3. Crimes and Misdemeanors
4. Hannah and Her Sisters
5. Manhattan
Totally agree!
Moreover, everyone should know that Match Point is Woody Allen's favourite film of his own.
Have you seen Bunny Hall?
What was the one with the gigantic breast squirting milk at everyone?
I'm also really surprised at the negative perceptions of Match Point. I would definitely rank it top five. For me, it was a huge turning point for Woody Allen and made him suddenly relevant again. I also think he's a brilliant dramatic director (seems most people prefer to keep him in the comedy box) and Match Point is maybe his best, plus it has really well-done tension and suspense that we rarely find in Allen. I also think Vicky Cristina Barcelona needs to be moved WAY UP on the list, and would probably kick Scoop down a bit (especially since it was his first film AFTER Match Point and was dreadful in comparison).
No real issues aside from the fact that EVERYONE IS OFF THEIR GORD about Match Point. That movie was sub-par and one of his poorer efforts. Such a nothing story that built into a "get this over with" situation two thrids the way in . I do think that critics overlook just how amazing his early works are and I don't really understand what's wrong with being silly. Banana's, and Sleeper and What's Up Tiger Lilly are all amazing and while I would take Love and Death over the lot, they should be considered alongside Stardust Memories and Deconstructing Harry despite their silliness. Top 5 is pretty solid though...can't argue. Match Point sucks and is completely overrated.
I guess it would be gourd...oh ya gourd.
Alice is amazing, and Interiors is a thousand times better than any of his 2000s releases.
Seems to be a consistent chorus about Match Point, which I agree stunk; contrived and a ridiculous remake of the 50's black and white classic. Interiors was amazing, so surprised to see it so low.
Also the early comedies should be rated much higher then some of the other stinkers.
Woody's films now seem so tiring, and rehashes of earlier films, plus have the pov of an old perv
covering up his pervdom. But worse, they're just dull.
Whatever Works is NOT the second worst Allen movie by a long shot. Totally wrong about Midnight in Paris. Granted, I would only suggest this film for big fans or people with lots of knowledge of Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Bunuel, Dali, Gertrude Stein and their whole milieu, but claiming that Michael Sheen is the most interesting character? He serves his purpose: being an agonizingly pretentious douche. This whole list is suspect.
Right on!
Suspect indeed. I don't even think that the whole exercise of imposing a "best-to-worst" taxonomy on Allen's oeuvre brings much value to us. It leads us into thinking that half of his work progressively degrades to the bad-est in terms of the worst; and I just don't think it applies to Allen. Whatever film/s that you might deem as his "worst," in my opinion, have more to provoke one's imagination and thought than 95% of the schlock that is produced today. I don't really think that people understand him very well these days. He has worked extremely hard at having independent control over what he does. He is an artist to be sure. And like all true artists, he has always been a bold experimenter and still is. That necessarily means that not every experiment is going to be a masterpiece, far from it. But there is something in every single film that he has ever made which is worth far more than the effort required to view it. Taking Match Point as an example, since so many here have trashed it, I have rarely seen a film (or have read a book) which penetrates so deeply into questions of class, freewill, and morality with such a masterful control of the characters, narrative, and emotional suspense. God! I guess people just didn't get it. And make no mistake; Woody's subconscious sense of satire and of the comically absurd is still there, as it is in ALL of his films. You think it's not there in Match Point or Interiors? Think again. I have always felt that even his early work is misunderstood and a lot more sophisticated than people think. I guess if you press me, I personally thought that Jade Scorpion was the least "Allenesque" of all; I hesitate to say weak. He is one of the great Auteurs of our time; and we are lucky that he is still with us and so prolific.
As an experimenter, that's not to say that Allen always forges a new direction with every film. To the contrary, he has often stayed with the same material as in earlier works. Some say that he is just rehashing the same old stuff. Not at all. Like all artists, he is often compelled to fully explore many of the same themes and ideas, repainting the canvas from a variable point of view, abstracting and reconstructing as variations on a theme. Admittedly, certain favorite themes recur often; however it's anything but rehash.
Just goes to show that everyone's got her/his own Woody going on. This is by far the most unfair - from my point of view - list I've seen on Nerve.
Personally I absolutely LOVE "Anything Else". I really-really think it is one of his greatest movies. Mother and daughter interaction there put the female family dynamics in Almodovar movies to shame.
"Midsummer Night Sex Comedy" is better than anything in the 20-10 section.
And "VCB"... What a great movie.
And please, drop the "90s was the lowpoint" refrain. They are perfectly all right if only for "Deconstructing Harry".
OK, I'm being rude now. That kinda shows his range: classics are classics, and personal bests are personal bests.
Where is Don't Drink The Water??? And I found Shadows and Fog to be much better than you gave it credit for
Match Point at number 3 !?!? Absolutely astonishing and so far off the mark. I found the movie almost unwatchable and had it not been one of Woody's I'd have stopped viewing after seeing the first ten or so poorly-acted and totally unrealistic London cliche characters.
All your other choices were pretty spot-on - Id have reveresed the top two though.
I went to tons of links bfreoe this, what was I thinking?
Way to use the internet to help popele solve problems!
Whoa, tnhgis just got a whole lot easier.
No qeuostin this is the place to get this info, thanks y'all.
Shoot, so that's that one supoepss.
How can you rank Midnight In Paris at 37?? Totally disagree with your remarks on the movie as well, I thought it was cast wonderfully, ...and "few bright spots" ?? cmonnn!! Who's with me on this?
I totally agree with you on Midnight in Paris. There were a few movies that I was glad to see were given a higher ranking than usual (Love and Death is the film that got me into Woody Allen as a kid), but Midnight in Paris deserves to be in at least the top half!
My top would probably be:
1) Manhattan
2) Annie Hall
3) Love and Death
4) Deconstructing Harry
5) Hannah and Her Sisters
6) Manhattan Murder Mystery
how you gonna tell me the murder in crimes and misdemeanors was of necessity?
I don't disagree with the overall rankings (the top 5 is spot on), but 'Mighty Aphrodite,' 'Sweet and Lowdown,' and 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' deserve to be MUCH higher on the list. Especially the first two.
I saw Midnight in Paris. It was great. So creative and funny. Owen Wilson was perfectly fine in this role. There was one time when he was trying to hard to be Allen. The film is not perfect, but certainly should in no way be on the bottom end of this list. I hate it when critics state things as if they are facts: "Owen Wilson is miscast..." That's one person's not-so-humble opinion. Later.
Would it make you feel better if everyone put IMHO before everything they say then? WASTE.OF.TIME. I think we can understand peoples opinions are just that. Stop wearing your passive-aggressive fairness like a badge.
Match Point and Crimes and Misdemeanors are two of my absolute favorites. So happy to see them in the top 5.
I think Match Point is one of Woody's best! An intense film that leaves me drained, yet how he does it is strangely subtle... or not -- you're with the Jonathan Rhys-Myers character in almost every scene, so as he starts to make bad choices some part of you still sides with him since all the other characters are pretty shallow and hollow. Like someone said, maybe people didn't get it. Rhys-Myers is fantastic. Radio Days is one of my all time favorite flicks, and a really disagree with your take on A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy -- also a favorite.
I think Crimes and Misdemeanors is Woody's best
There's no point in derision and name-calling. People list as "best" the movies that appeal to their sensibilities. It doesn't make any list right or wrong, just different. I personally think Allen does best what he did at the beginning....gag writing and slapstick. I thought Annie Hall was all right, but the ones I return to to laugh again and again are
4. Take the Money and Run
3. Sleeper
2. Bananas
1. Love and Death
Ones that I couldn't even finish because of their soap opera quality were
Interiors
Melinda and Melinda
Shadows and Fog
Nothing against Annie or Manhattan or any of the others that people love, I just personally felt no overwhelming desire to revisit them. The late seventies were the beginning of his "talking head" period that just didn't resonate with me as much. To each, his own. He is certainly a genius with something for everyone.
I agree that the flat our funny comedies are great. Top 10 are:
1. Annie Hall. Spot on at number 1. Really captured the NY vibe of the late 70's.
2. Love and death. Funny as buggery. Last of his drop dead hilarious flicks.
3. Sleeper. The observations about he future are so spot on...I swear this man is a visionary.
4. Bananas. God this cracks me up every viewing.
5. Take the money and run. Comedy of Woody's lfe of crime is a crack up...and the commentary is hilarious.
6. Zelig. Forgotten Woody classic...funny and clever use of newsreels...inspired Forest Gump no doubt.
7. Manhattan. I guess because I would be deemed not fit to be apart of the human ecosystem by not putting this in the top 10....great cinematography that overcompensates the writing and does not have the comedy punch of he above titles. Still one of the best of his "walking down the NY sidewalk gabbling to his lady friend" pictures.
8. Take the money and run. Who cares if he didn't direct it. It's Hilarious!
9. Broadway Danny Rose. Hilarious movie where Woody plays an entertainment agent.
10. Match Point. Errr....only joking folks!!!!!! Haven't seen it nor do I want to.
I see few movies of woody like anything else, small time crook, everyone says i love you and midnight in paris but i find it all interasthing.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, thank you. There are some things I really about this list: I like that Stardust Memories is rated so highly and I agree that Anything Else is underrated. However, explicitly stating that Match Point is a better film than Crimes and Misdemeanours is criminal (pun intended). I found the plot of Match Point to be pretty uninvolving but the script was dreadful, just awful. It felt like it was written by someone who had never met a British person. I think this might also be the reason it was much better received in the US than over here. In my opinion, Crimes and Misdemeanours is not only Allen's best film but also one of the best films ever made. You should rewatch them, there is really no comparison. I don't even think it's a matter of opinion, it's cold hard fact. I also think you underrated Another Woman, Radio Days and especially Midnight in Paris and severely overrated Scoop. For what it's worth, I also rather liked Melinda and Melinda and thought Radha Mitchell gave a very good performance (I'm aware this is a fairly controversial view). I had a go at coming up with my own top ten:
1. Crimes and Misdemeanours
2. Stardust Memories
3. Husbands and Wives
4. Hannah and Her Sisters
5. Annie Hall
6. Zelig
7. Manhattan
8. Sleeper
9. Love and Death
10. Deconstructing Harry/ Bullets Over Broadway (This depends on my mood!)
Thanks again.
I logged in to get a list of all the Woody Allen films in case I have missed any. I find it sad that someone has taken all this trouble to study the work of Woody Allen and managed to understand it so little.Most of the comments are inane and stem from evaluating the comedy alone. As a critique, it is uncultured and seems to ignore all the artistic and historical references.the philosophy and the profundity of thought.As professional artists,my husband and I KNOW that Midnight in Paris is a masterpiece but we are used to casting our pearls to swine.....
I think Woody would LOL at your comment. "As professional artists,my husband and I KNOW that Midnight in Paris is a masterpiece but we are used to casting our pearls to swine....." sounds like the guy from the Annie Hall scene, where Woody and Keaton are standing in a movie line and this guy behind them speaks about Fellini and Marshall McLuhan. well, your comment sure made me lough.
Ha ha I know I did THATS INCREDIBLE - Theresa - get in touch with Woody NOW!
ive seen 15 films from the list i think. movies that inspirted me most were (in random order)
Interiors
Radio Days
Stardust memories
The Purple Rose of Cairo
Manhattan
Anny Hall
Another Woman
i also liked all the others ive seen so far.
the only movie i disliked completely, and it even made me depressed was
Christina Vicky Barcelona
i found it like watching Desperate Houswifes and i have no clue why people like it or why Penelope got Oscar for her acting.
Absolutely agree about VCB and Penelope Cruz - my theory is she got it for appearing 'very latin'
which Javier Bardem was encouraged to do by Allen who seemed to be wanking off on it all - I guess Woody has always moaned about his lack of sexual potency, so it has a weird consistency.
the funnies moments i found in Deconstructing Harry and Bullets Over Broadway.
No, don´t speak. No. (hillarious)
"Melinda and Melinda" is unspeakably tedious. Couldn't get through it, tried really hard. Can't remember anything else quite so flat and dull.
Not including Play It Again Sam is wrong logic...just incorrect..Personal preference...I think Broadway Danny Rose.is not given the ranking it deserves..It should be top 5
You are so right Howard. I must give Woody his fair crack and say that even though he has done some dull (Melinda and Melinda), over reaching (Radio Days) and forgettable (that one with Shaun Penn), but he is the last of his type and a true legend.
Like artists like Bob Dylan or Neil Young, he has had a rocky career and over extends himself at times or retreads when there is a lack of inspiration, but he has had at least a third of his movies that a stone cold classics and it is better to have had the audacity to go with his id and create a project that may polarise his audience. No matter what...people will always discuss a Woody Allen movie afterwards rather than a Transformers or Big Momma's House movie!
Very interesting list and comments, but not too many have rated 'Broadway Danny Rose' as one of Allen's best. For what it's worth, I think it's fantastic and should be much higher in the list.
You did Midnight in Paris a dirty turn! It's not as though it was flawless, but still it had its moments. It's definitely not one of his worst films.
Also, it would've been very nice if you had included Play It Again Sam, which was really a good picture.
What the heck, man? Midnight in Paris that low? Inconceivable! Then again, Match Point was included in your top five so I'm not too surprised.
My top five:
1. Midnight in Paris
2. The Purple Rose of Cairo
3. Crimes and Misdemeanors
4. Sweet and Lowdown
5. Hannah and Her Sisters
Now you say something