I must admit that I'm very surprised this little movie enjoyed such favorable reviews. Admittedly, a movie budgeted at $13.5 million puts it into a top bracket, but the money seems to have been spent mainly on the cast and on greasing hands for all the NYC location shots. And of course, although reviewers loved this movie, it was far from a success with picturegoers. Even accounting for TV and video sales, it would have been lucky to break even. Shot in a freewheeling style on actual Manhattan locations, it re-teams Woody with Diane Keaton. Also along for the ride are Alan Alda and Anjelica Huston, plus an overweight Jerry Adler as the mysterious Mr. House. I'll readily admit that if you're not expecting too much from the movie, it's quite enjoyable, but it's a long way from Allen at his early best or even the Allen of Shadows and Fog, made only two years earlier! True, the on-screen Allen character is still intact, but he seems to lack the on-screen charisma of even a Broadway Danny Rose. Now he's just an irritatingly over-argumentative little guy who has to be talked into everything until he eventually gives in! Available on an excellent Columbia/Tristar DVD.
Review of Manhattan Murder Mystery
