No one took this film seriously when it came out earlier this decade. Most people thought it a fluffy, trifle of a film. And it is certainly light-hearted compared to some of Allen's weightier fare (see Husbands and Wives, his best movie of the past decade). But having watched this film again recently I think it is a stunning achievement in comedy. Allen and Keaton have great chemistry as a couple in a humdrum marriage who stumble on to what turns out to be a murder cover-up. Watching all the people in this film try to figure out how to be detectives based on stuff they've seen in movies and read in books is hilarious, not to mention smart. The latenight dinner conversation among Allen, Keaton, Alda, and Huston is some of the best, sharpest, funniest, fastest dialogue ever written (or ad libbed). One of the best comedies of the 90s. frink-3
137 Reviews
Lightweight but fun Allen
runamokprods4 July 2010
Light and insubstantial – the thinnest movie Allen made since 'Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy', but still breezy and fun entertainment, and still manages to have a deeper emotional resonance about working through mid-life crises and relationships. The camera-work is a mix. The first half is annoyingly hand-held much of the time, for no particularly good reason, but the second half has some very nice lighting, and a fun 'Lady From Shanghi' homage at the climax.
A flawed film, that one can pick at if you're in a cranky mood, but also one with wit and panache that you can enjoy if you let go of your inner film critic and just watch a master humorist simply tell a good yarn.
A flawed film, that one can pick at if you're in a cranky mood, but also one with wit and panache that you can enjoy if you let go of your inner film critic and just watch a master humorist simply tell a good yarn.
Diane and Woody = Success
blissey_s29 January 2022
I was fond of the fly-on-the-wall style they used to film this. Diane and Woody are masters of improvisation and at no point did I feel like this was scripted - they seemed like a real couple arguing over the suspected murder of their neighbour.
Their arguments in this movie are funny - like really funny. Diane plays a frenzied, nosy woman who pries into the lives of other people to make up for the discontent she feels about her own.
Woody plays a loopy older gentleman who has long since been castrated by his overbearing wife and who spirals into a panic attack every time the mildest stressor appears.
The duo is electric because they compliment each other's delusion well. They are basically tripping over each other this entire movie, blathering barely coherent sentences whilst trying to solve a murder case that in all likelihood never happened.
Except it did, and it turns out this pair of conspiracy theorists were onto something all along. This movie is funny, witty and full of one liners.
The scene in which they, along with their investigative cohorts, concoct a plan to expose Paul and then the following scene where they execute it by phone is pure comic genius. It's rare that I laugh out loud for a film but I did here.
Overall, this is a hidden gem and I consider it massively entertaining. Not to be missed.
Their arguments in this movie are funny - like really funny. Diane plays a frenzied, nosy woman who pries into the lives of other people to make up for the discontent she feels about her own.
Woody plays a loopy older gentleman who has long since been castrated by his overbearing wife and who spirals into a panic attack every time the mildest stressor appears.
The duo is electric because they compliment each other's delusion well. They are basically tripping over each other this entire movie, blathering barely coherent sentences whilst trying to solve a murder case that in all likelihood never happened.
Except it did, and it turns out this pair of conspiracy theorists were onto something all along. This movie is funny, witty and full of one liners.
The scene in which they, along with their investigative cohorts, concoct a plan to expose Paul and then the following scene where they execute it by phone is pure comic genius. It's rare that I laugh out loud for a film but I did here.
Overall, this is a hidden gem and I consider it massively entertaining. Not to be missed.
Overlooked Woody gem
"Manhattan Murder Mystery" is 50% Hitchcock, 50% Bergman, and 100% Allen. It's frequently laugh-out-loud funny ("you must pay us in small unmarked bills....or, large marked ones, if you want to go that route"), but beyond that, it's a warmhearted, affectionate, insightful look at marriage and middle age. It is also a love letter to New York, and a homage to old Hollywood movies. And it has probably one of the tightest plots of all his films. Woody is very generous about sharing the spotlight with the other three main leads, Diane Keaton, Alan Alda, and Angelica Huston. He and Keaton are perfect together and it's a shame they have never worked together again since 1993 - maybe even as the same characters they play here. It's a wonderful film - one of Allen's best. *** out of 4.
gridoon20249 October 2022
- "What would you do if he found you in his house?"
- "I wasn't thinking that far ahead"
- "That far ahead? We're talking two seconds here. All he had to do was look under the bed!"
"Manhattan Murder Mystery" is 50% Hitchcock, 50% Bergman, and 100% Allen. It's frequently laugh-out-loud funny ("you must pay us in small unmarked bills....or, large marked ones, if you want to go that route"), but beyond that, it's a warmhearted, affectionate, insightful look at marriage and middle age. It is also a love letter to New York, and a homage to old Hollywood movies. And it has probably one of the tightest plots of all his films. Woody is very generous about sharing the spotlight with the other three main leads, Diane Keaton, Alan Alda, and Angelica Huston. He and Keaton are perfect together and it's a shame they have never worked together again since 1993 - maybe even as the same characters they play here. It's a wonderful film - one of Allen's best. *** out of 4.
Allen is a comic genius!
tcrossont15 October 2003
This is the sort of movie I can watch over and over. In one word I would say it is clever. A combination of mystery, suspense, drama, and Allen's ingenious humor, Manhattan Murder Mystery is my favorite Woody Allen movie. Perhaps my favorite movie - period. The plot was fresh, and having such humor with suspense is just too good. Another quality I enjoy in this movie is how Allen avoids an "over-polished" look. For instance, the scene where a neighbor in the hallway asks Paul about a rent increase. The actor appears to stumble for the right word, but Allen let the scene go that way giving it a very natural look. The restaurant scenes also portray realism with multiple conversations at one time; a quality I love in all of his movies. This makes reviewing the movies interesting- you pick up something new each time you watch it! Woody Allen's style is definitely an intelligent humor.
Nice little story
Angeneer30 May 2001
This is a definite film for Woody devotees. For me there were some scenes where I couldn't stand his neurotic blabbing any more. He threw though some exceptional one-liners! The rest of the cast did a very good job and I guess they were improvising in some scenes. In general, it's a light comedy, but nothing deeper as some previous Allen films. Also it has a distinctive New York feel.
Light comedy from Woody Allen
rbverhoef19 October 2004
This is a nice and light Woody Allen comedy about a death in a building that could be a murder. At least Diane Keaton's character thinks so, without really having a reason for that. She plays Carol Lipton, married to Larry Lipton (Woody Allen). They have just met their neighbors Paul (Jerry Adler) and Lillian House (Lynn Cohen) when Lillian dies. Because Paul is not that sad and is too ready to move on Carol becomes suspicious. When she is realizing certain strange events that has occurred her suspicion grows. Larry thinks it is pretty stupid but when a friend named Ted (Alan Alda) does believe her and helps her with the investigation he gets jealous and offers to help after all.
Whether a real murder has committed is not the point, I guess. Allen gives us standard movie situations, ridicules them a little, and betters them then. There is a scene where Allen and Keaton go from an elevator into a basement when the lights fall out. It is completely dark, something we have seen more in thrillers, and for some reason Allen is able to make this cliché thriller scene suspenseful. There are more of these moments. Since this is an Allen film there are a lot of links to other famous movies (the script itself is a little like Hitchcock's 'Rear Window') and famous scenes, the ending in particular does a terrific job in reliving one of the most memorable scenes out there. (It has to with mirrors, I guess you know what movie I am talking about). This light Allen comedy is a terrific mystery story with brilliant touches that will be liked not only by Allen-fans, but by everyone who loves either comedy or mystery suspense.
Whether a real murder has committed is not the point, I guess. Allen gives us standard movie situations, ridicules them a little, and betters them then. There is a scene where Allen and Keaton go from an elevator into a basement when the lights fall out. It is completely dark, something we have seen more in thrillers, and for some reason Allen is able to make this cliché thriller scene suspenseful. There are more of these moments. Since this is an Allen film there are a lot of links to other famous movies (the script itself is a little like Hitchcock's 'Rear Window') and famous scenes, the ending in particular does a terrific job in reliving one of the most memorable scenes out there. (It has to with mirrors, I guess you know what movie I am talking about). This light Allen comedy is a terrific mystery story with brilliant touches that will be liked not only by Allen-fans, but by everyone who loves either comedy or mystery suspense.
Light-hearted Woody Allen is still Woody Allen.
bobsgrock16 August 2010
By comparison of some of his previous work, including Husbands and Wives and Crimes and Misdemeanors, this is a very breezy and light-hearted farce that has great fun within the genre of films such as Rear Window and The Thin Man. Woody Allen writes and directs with such ease and relaxation and actors Diane Keaton, Alan Alda, and Angelica Huston so perfectly fit the mold he creates that it is simple enough to engage instantly with these characters and follow them as they interact.
It must be said here that the actual murder plot is somewhat predictable and not very original. Yet, that is not the point of Woody Allen's screenplay. Unlike a lot of other writers, he focuses more on the characters and their reactions to these unusual situations; these are not people who suddenly turn into great private eyes when the plot requires them to. They are real, genuine and make plenty of mistakes that make us laugh. Allen gives one of his funniest performances on film and the return of Diane Keaton proves how warm and charming they are together still after all these years. Certainly not a very serious Allen movie, but one for those who aren't used to him to check out as well as more hardcore fans. A delight is still a delight.
It must be said here that the actual murder plot is somewhat predictable and not very original. Yet, that is not the point of Woody Allen's screenplay. Unlike a lot of other writers, he focuses more on the characters and their reactions to these unusual situations; these are not people who suddenly turn into great private eyes when the plot requires them to. They are real, genuine and make plenty of mistakes that make us laugh. Allen gives one of his funniest performances on film and the return of Diane Keaton proves how warm and charming they are together still after all these years. Certainly not a very serious Allen movie, but one for those who aren't used to him to check out as well as more hardcore fans. A delight is still a delight.
My favorite Woody Allen!
Zoopansick8 July 2003
This is my favorite Woody Allen movie and right up there with Annie Hall and Manhattan as one of his best. Woody is at his best when he has Diane Keaton by his side and this proves it. A lot of his more recent movies haven't been good, because he is pairing himself with much younger actresses who aren't as good at this type of comedy or who aren't good at all in the case of Helen Hunt. This movie is hilarious even if you are my age (20). I think it's refreshing to go the video store and rent a comedy that isn't either a stupid spoof, or a teen comedy that plays like a rated R sitcom. This is a comedy that actually has a story, and Woody has the best lines. If you don't like Woody's style though you won't like this, but if you have seen Annie Hall or any of his other movies and liked them then you should love this one.
Zoopansick
Zoopansick
Only the 3rd Woody film I've seen, and 3 out of 3 ain't bad...
jaishel12 September 2002
Manhattan Murder Mystery, 1993. On clearout at my video store.
Despite the title, more of a comedy than a thriller, but enough of both for most, I'd hazard. Jerry Adler plays an newly-widowed (or should that be 'widowered'?) neighbour who Woody's wife (Keaton) suspects has killed his own wife. Our Woody initially thinks his better half is crazy to suspect such a nice, stamp-collecting avuncular chap, but as the evidence mounts and she gains recruits to her cause from their circle of friends, Woody starts to assist her...not giving away too much here, but the resolution and Woody's involvement in it should produce a satisfying mental 'click' in your brain.
Woody at his best, but let me first get some negative energy out of my system...I found Diane Keaton and Alan Alda a tad weak...Keaton's 'maladjusted rich girl now nearing 50' routine and Alda's constant dirty leers in her direction got a little tiring after a few viewings. I didn't know Alda until this film, and when I saw an 1974 ep of Mash recently, and I'm amazed at how little he changed physically over two decades.
On the positive, Anjelica Huston and Woody are a breeze, both together and with anyone else. Her steel-trap mind and subtle seduction of Woody are wondrous to behold, while Woody himself just reeks of professionalism and his usual widely loved neurotic, Jewish, New Yorker, sarcastic self:
"I just can't listen to that much Wagner, I start to get this uncontrollable urge to conquer Poland!"
Despite the title, more of a comedy than a thriller, but enough of both for most, I'd hazard. Jerry Adler plays an newly-widowed (or should that be 'widowered'?) neighbour who Woody's wife (Keaton) suspects has killed his own wife. Our Woody initially thinks his better half is crazy to suspect such a nice, stamp-collecting avuncular chap, but as the evidence mounts and she gains recruits to her cause from their circle of friends, Woody starts to assist her...not giving away too much here, but the resolution and Woody's involvement in it should produce a satisfying mental 'click' in your brain.
Woody at his best, but let me first get some negative energy out of my system...I found Diane Keaton and Alan Alda a tad weak...Keaton's 'maladjusted rich girl now nearing 50' routine and Alda's constant dirty leers in her direction got a little tiring after a few viewings. I didn't know Alda until this film, and when I saw an 1974 ep of Mash recently, and I'm amazed at how little he changed physically over two decades.
On the positive, Anjelica Huston and Woody are a breeze, both together and with anyone else. Her steel-trap mind and subtle seduction of Woody are wondrous to behold, while Woody himself just reeks of professionalism and his usual widely loved neurotic, Jewish, New Yorker, sarcastic self:
"I just can't listen to that much Wagner, I start to get this uncontrollable urge to conquer Poland!"
Decent Woody Allen romp
itamarscomix14 January 2012
With the hand-held camera, no narration, no breaking of the fourth wall and an all around more realistic feel, Manhattan Murder Mystery is a clear follow-up for Husbands and Wives, but transferring that great film's style into a semi-comedic thriller parody doesn't work that well, mainly because Allen's character and his neurotic sarcasm are completely out of place - part of the point, of course, but it gets tiring much too often. Alan Alda, too, plays a generic Alda character that we've seen in Allen films several times before. Diane Keaton is the film's saving grace - it's great to see her work with Allen again for the first time since the masterpiece Manhattan - and she's at her very best, as is Anjelica Huston in a smaller but unforgettable part. All in all, it's worthy enough of a slot in the Woody Allen catalog, and fans will probably enjoy it, but it's not one of his finest moments.
Great reunion with Keaton and Allen.
omp930 July 2005
Manhattan Murder Mystery is a terrific Woody Allen film whit a wonderful mix of murder, mystery and comedy. With an all star fantastic cast; Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Alan Alda, Anjelica Huston and Jerry Adler.
The reunion of Keaton and Allen together was such a delight, the chemistry between Allen and Keaton, is truly top-notch, remind me of Annie Hall.(Diane Keatons role where actually intended for Mia Farrow, but as most of you know Woody Allen was going through his off-screen scandal at the time..). Like the most of Allens films this also have a witty dialog and excellent character development. And the murder mystery is very intelligent, fun and stylish mystery-comedy. Whit Manhattan Murder Mystery Allen also reunites with writer Marshall Brickman, they wrote Annie Hall and Manhattan together, Like those films, this one contains some very funny one-liners.
Manhattan Murder Mystery is one of Woody Allen's most wonderful movies. 9 out of 10.
The reunion of Keaton and Allen together was such a delight, the chemistry between Allen and Keaton, is truly top-notch, remind me of Annie Hall.(Diane Keatons role where actually intended for Mia Farrow, but as most of you know Woody Allen was going through his off-screen scandal at the time..). Like the most of Allens films this also have a witty dialog and excellent character development. And the murder mystery is very intelligent, fun and stylish mystery-comedy. Whit Manhattan Murder Mystery Allen also reunites with writer Marshall Brickman, they wrote Annie Hall and Manhattan together, Like those films, this one contains some very funny one-liners.
Manhattan Murder Mystery is one of Woody Allen's most wonderful movies. 9 out of 10.
A fun, little comedy that demonstrate's Woody's love for classic film noir.
pere-2536611 March 2019
In Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993), Allen delivers a solid mix of mystery and comedy. As with all his films, the dialogue is witty and the plot is creatively conceived. The characters really pull you in with their investment in the peculiar situations they find themselves in, including a great performance from Diane Keaton. Overall, a fine film that nicely pays tribute to classic film-noir.
Why you should avoid getting to know your neighbor.
mark.waltz16 May 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Especially in New York. Could they be involved in a coven of Satanists, a la "Rosemary's Baby", call girls a la " Kkute" or "Nuts"? How about simply just nosy pests who just never leave you alone? Married couple Woody Allen and Diane Keaton are your typical New Yorkers, taking in classic movie retrospectives, hockey games and even the opera. While home, Keaton and Alkwn briefly befriend the neighbors, and are shocked when all of a sudden, the wife dies if an apparent massive coronary. Suspicious Keaton begins to think that the husband knocked off the wife and begins to try to gather evidence to trap him.
Typical lighthearted Allen script seems to have been rushed together in the wake of his personal scandals and comes off as forced. Woody has some funny comments on living in New York and the many types of eccentrics from all walks of life. Alan Alda is likable as the neighbor who first makes Keaton suspicious, while Angelica Huston plays an eccentric writer.
Movies about Manhattan always utilize classic American songs and vintage location shots of the city as non- human characters. As these movies get older, the location footage just manages to get more nostalgic. Originally, Mia Farrow was to play the Keaton character, but for obvious reasons was replaced by Woody's former girlfriend and 70's co-star whom he hasn't worked with on screen in well over a decade, only using her briefly in "Radio Days". Enjoyable for what it us, this isn't one of Woody's best, being basically plot less and frequently annoying with a rather nervous energy that can be difficult to take.
Typical lighthearted Allen script seems to have been rushed together in the wake of his personal scandals and comes off as forced. Woody has some funny comments on living in New York and the many types of eccentrics from all walks of life. Alan Alda is likable as the neighbor who first makes Keaton suspicious, while Angelica Huston plays an eccentric writer.
Movies about Manhattan always utilize classic American songs and vintage location shots of the city as non- human characters. As these movies get older, the location footage just manages to get more nostalgic. Originally, Mia Farrow was to play the Keaton character, but for obvious reasons was replaced by Woody's former girlfriend and 70's co-star whom he hasn't worked with on screen in well over a decade, only using her briefly in "Radio Days". Enjoyable for what it us, this isn't one of Woody's best, being basically plot less and frequently annoying with a rather nervous energy that can be difficult to take.
Great comedy
fortlauderdale-114 October 2008
I love Allen. He shines in every film I have seen him in. I love his humour and his ability to act and so I was delighted to see him in a role that catered for his style of acting and humour, but also showed a more mature and serious side to his acting.
I watched this movie not knowing what to expect, except that the movie's lead stars (Woody and Diane Keaton) had been given very good reviews about their part in this film. I have to say I enjoyed the film. It was entertaining, funny but yet so sad.
The mystery is actually engrossing!
The film is about two characters who are miserable in their love lives (for different reasons) and in a strange country far from home. Their friendship develops so nicely and quickly that they become so attached to each other that saying goodbye is the hardest thing in the world.
As much as the film shows happiness in the form of the friendship, the film touches you in an all different way towards its end. After seeing this film, I found myself thinking about it all too much afterwards.
I watched this movie not knowing what to expect, except that the movie's lead stars (Woody and Diane Keaton) had been given very good reviews about their part in this film. I have to say I enjoyed the film. It was entertaining, funny but yet so sad.
The mystery is actually engrossing!
The film is about two characters who are miserable in their love lives (for different reasons) and in a strange country far from home. Their friendship develops so nicely and quickly that they become so attached to each other that saying goodbye is the hardest thing in the world.
As much as the film shows happiness in the form of the friendship, the film touches you in an all different way towards its end. After seeing this film, I found myself thinking about it all too much afterwards.
Perfectly ok light comedy thriller - but very tame.
Pedro_H29 April 2004
When Woody Allen wrote Annie Hall he included a side-plot about a neighbour that died in mysterious circumstances (inspired by real events). However the film didn't have time for it. Here he returns to recycle some of his old ideas.
Clever observation of real life (well the one according to Woody) and some funny lines, but this is so stretched out that you fear it is going to fall apart at the seams. Lots of this comes across as a rehash (Woody is in the literary world (again!) and Keaton is a dits (again!) and Alda is an intellectual writer!) and if you haven't been a fan of his over previous work then this is NOT going to win you over.
The one problem with Woody Allen is that some people see his yacking classes as satire, but I don't think it is. He thinks that is how everybody lives, behaves and talks: People live in nice apartments, eat out a lot, have nice friends who swap barbs. He opened up a bit by including four letter words and sexual references later, but this is part of his old school.
The problem with this piece is that the thriller part has nowhere to go other than the track it is clearly on. Given that it doesn't seem to be anything other than a make-weight I have problems taking it seriously. Woody, If you want to write a thriller, write a thriller, but you seemed frightened of doing it, so you opted to add a bit thriller business to your usual same-old same-old.
Clever observation of real life (well the one according to Woody) and some funny lines, but this is so stretched out that you fear it is going to fall apart at the seams. Lots of this comes across as a rehash (Woody is in the literary world (again!) and Keaton is a dits (again!) and Alda is an intellectual writer!) and if you haven't been a fan of his over previous work then this is NOT going to win you over.
The one problem with Woody Allen is that some people see his yacking classes as satire, but I don't think it is. He thinks that is how everybody lives, behaves and talks: People live in nice apartments, eat out a lot, have nice friends who swap barbs. He opened up a bit by including four letter words and sexual references later, but this is part of his old school.
The problem with this piece is that the thriller part has nowhere to go other than the track it is clearly on. Given that it doesn't seem to be anything other than a make-weight I have problems taking it seriously. Woody, If you want to write a thriller, write a thriller, but you seemed frightened of doing it, so you opted to add a bit thriller business to your usual same-old same-old.
A light but very fun comedy
CameronMB14 February 2004
Woody Allen and Diane Keaton reunite in this fine film, and both are in top form. Although it largely abandons the angst-filled themes of many of Allen's earlier films, it replaces it with a playfulness and sense of fun which elevates the film above your standard comedy or mystery. Alan Alda is notable for his fine performance, as well.
Not one of Woody's best
irvthom1-129 April 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Watching a Woody Allen film is always rewarding, and this one has the advantage of his re-casting with Diane Keaton, as well as Alan Alda. So there is no question but that it's worth a viewing for any Woody fan. But I would not rate it among his best, and maybe not even among his 'better' output. It gets off to a good start . . . let us say a typical Woody Allen start, and it runs along in characteristic Woody grooves of angst and self-demeanment (one knows what to expect from Woody), but along about two-thirds through the film it suddenly gets unrealistically kooky, seeming to shift, at that point, from the calculated and well-paced humor into a kind of frenetic intensity of faux detective action with the characters suddenly OUT of character and doing things that had no reasonable basis in the earlier buildup of the tale. Seriously, I felt it came across like a schizophrenic directorial job, which of course has to be laid at the feet of Allen, himself. Thumbs not exactly down on this one, but leaning quite heavily toward the horizontal.
Mystery, Suspense and Refined and Witty Humor in Manhattan
claudio_carvalho17 October 2011
In Manhattan, Carol (Diane Keaton) and her husband Larry Lipton (Woody Allen) are coming home late night when they meet their next door neighbors Lillian (Lynn Cohen) and Paul House (Jerry Adler) in the elevator. Lillian and Paul invite their neighbors to drink coffee with them in their apartment and Lillian shows her treadmill to Carol and Paul shows his collection of stamps to Larry. While drinking coffee, the elderly couple tells that they have been married for twenty-eight years and they have a twin tomb in the cemetery. Lillian tells that she is in good shape and uses her treadmill everyday.
On the next night, Carol and Larry go to see The Flying Dutchman in the theater and when they come back home, they learn that Lillian has died of heart attack. A couple of days later, Carol and Larry meet Paul on the street and Carol believes he is too perky for a widower that has just lost his beloved wife. When Carol accidentally finds an urn with Lillian's ashes in Paul's kitchen, she suspects that Paul has killed Lillian and comments with her friend Ted (Alan Alda). They decide to investigate her neighbor and Carol steals the keys of Paul's apartment from the super. She finds that Paul will travel to Paris and not to Caribbean as he had told to Larry and she, with a woman called Helen Moss. When Carol sees by chance Lillian alive in a bus, her curiosity increases and she decides to go further in her investigation.
Yesterday I was setting in order and cleaning my films on the shelf, and I decided to see again the VHS "Manhattan Murder Mystery". Last time I saw this film was in the 90's and I did not recall the story in details. Woody Allen is one of my favorite directors and actor, and that is the reason why I do not dare to say that this film is one of his best films because I love practically all his filmography.
"Manhattan Murder Mystery" has mystery, suspense and the refined and witty humor typical from Woody Allen. One of my favorite moments is when Larry compares the need to Carol returning to her shrink with a GM's recall. Another very funny moment is when the clumsy Larry plays the wrong tape during the phone conversation with Paul. If the reader wants to spend 104 minutes laughing, watch "Manhattan Murder Mystery" since this film is funny even for those that are not fans of Woody Allen. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil):"Um Misterioso Assassinato em Manhattan" ("A Mysterious Murder in Manhattan")
Note: On 23 October 2020, I saw this film again.
On the next night, Carol and Larry go to see The Flying Dutchman in the theater and when they come back home, they learn that Lillian has died of heart attack. A couple of days later, Carol and Larry meet Paul on the street and Carol believes he is too perky for a widower that has just lost his beloved wife. When Carol accidentally finds an urn with Lillian's ashes in Paul's kitchen, she suspects that Paul has killed Lillian and comments with her friend Ted (Alan Alda). They decide to investigate her neighbor and Carol steals the keys of Paul's apartment from the super. She finds that Paul will travel to Paris and not to Caribbean as he had told to Larry and she, with a woman called Helen Moss. When Carol sees by chance Lillian alive in a bus, her curiosity increases and she decides to go further in her investigation.
Yesterday I was setting in order and cleaning my films on the shelf, and I decided to see again the VHS "Manhattan Murder Mystery". Last time I saw this film was in the 90's and I did not recall the story in details. Woody Allen is one of my favorite directors and actor, and that is the reason why I do not dare to say that this film is one of his best films because I love practically all his filmography.
"Manhattan Murder Mystery" has mystery, suspense and the refined and witty humor typical from Woody Allen. One of my favorite moments is when Larry compares the need to Carol returning to her shrink with a GM's recall. Another very funny moment is when the clumsy Larry plays the wrong tape during the phone conversation with Paul. If the reader wants to spend 104 minutes laughing, watch "Manhattan Murder Mystery" since this film is funny even for those that are not fans of Woody Allen. My vote is eight.
Title (Brazil):"Um Misterioso Assassinato em Manhattan" ("A Mysterious Murder in Manhattan")
Note: On 23 October 2020, I saw this film again.
A return to the old style comedy formula from America's greatest neurotic!
Sonatine9721 August 2000
I am a great fan of the Woodmeister, even during his troubled times with Mia Farrow & the various court cases that junctioned this particular film.
However, I also found some of his late 80s early 90s films a trifle vague, indulgent, Bergmanesque,(especially films like September, Alice and Husbands & Wives). Although these films were quite favourable with highbrow critics I think a lot of his true fans found them to be rather detached & remote from the Allen we all know and love.
The great thing about Allen is his unique writing style. It would be too easy just to pigeonhole him as some kind of wise cracking stand-up comic; a lot of his humour is very subtle with a generous helping of heavy irony mixed in with regards life's many mysteries & contradictions. I think that's why he finds it easy to hide behind his neurotic outer skin: much easier to cast satirical barbs from within.
Manhattan Murder Mystery (MMM), is a return to form for the Meister in spite of all his personal problems being aired over the TV networks at around this time. I think it was just as well he chose Keaton rather than Farrow for the part of his wife, not just because of the off-screen problems but the chemistry for a comedy is perfect with Keaton & Allen together.
Okay so its not much of a mystery (not many murders either). We're not talking Agatha Christie indepth style of detective analysis either. Instead WA plays it straight down the line: some mild slapstick, witty one-liners, keen social observations, the usual paranoias/neurosis and of course some intellectual jousting with fellow chattering-class types.
Anjelica Huston works surprisingly well here too. Not generally renowned for this kind of staged comedy, she does a pretty goody job as Alan Alda's potential girlfriend, come amateur detective.
There's also plenty of adlibbing going on as you might expect from an Allen script. He writes so freely there's plenty of room for self expression from all of the actors without deflecting too much away from the mood & pace of the story.
The ending is a little goofy & tiresome, and somehow doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of the film, which is a great shame. But either way MMM is a good entertaining film if you feel like sitting back in a comfy chair without the need to think too hard.
It's a welcome return to the old-style Allen of yesteryear. Not quite in the same league as Annie Hall or Manhattan, but neither does it quite fall in the same bracket as the slapstick extreme of say Sleeper or Bananas to the more darker & impersonal September or H&W at the other.
If you like the Old Allen then you're going to love this.
***/*****
However, I also found some of his late 80s early 90s films a trifle vague, indulgent, Bergmanesque,(especially films like September, Alice and Husbands & Wives). Although these films were quite favourable with highbrow critics I think a lot of his true fans found them to be rather detached & remote from the Allen we all know and love.
The great thing about Allen is his unique writing style. It would be too easy just to pigeonhole him as some kind of wise cracking stand-up comic; a lot of his humour is very subtle with a generous helping of heavy irony mixed in with regards life's many mysteries & contradictions. I think that's why he finds it easy to hide behind his neurotic outer skin: much easier to cast satirical barbs from within.
Manhattan Murder Mystery (MMM), is a return to form for the Meister in spite of all his personal problems being aired over the TV networks at around this time. I think it was just as well he chose Keaton rather than Farrow for the part of his wife, not just because of the off-screen problems but the chemistry for a comedy is perfect with Keaton & Allen together.
Okay so its not much of a mystery (not many murders either). We're not talking Agatha Christie indepth style of detective analysis either. Instead WA plays it straight down the line: some mild slapstick, witty one-liners, keen social observations, the usual paranoias/neurosis and of course some intellectual jousting with fellow chattering-class types.
Anjelica Huston works surprisingly well here too. Not generally renowned for this kind of staged comedy, she does a pretty goody job as Alan Alda's potential girlfriend, come amateur detective.
There's also plenty of adlibbing going on as you might expect from an Allen script. He writes so freely there's plenty of room for self expression from all of the actors without deflecting too much away from the mood & pace of the story.
The ending is a little goofy & tiresome, and somehow doesn't seem to fit in with the rest of the film, which is a great shame. But either way MMM is a good entertaining film if you feel like sitting back in a comfy chair without the need to think too hard.
It's a welcome return to the old-style Allen of yesteryear. Not quite in the same league as Annie Hall or Manhattan, but neither does it quite fall in the same bracket as the slapstick extreme of say Sleeper or Bananas to the more darker & impersonal September or H&W at the other.
If you like the Old Allen then you're going to love this.
***/*****
Breezy but not lightweight, a total fun and warm and human adventure...
secondtake20 February 2012
Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993)
This movie almost defines delightful--at least for people who already like Woody Allen. (For some, Allen will always be irritating, no matter how brilliant the movie.)
Without a shred of pretension, and without really any suspense in the usual murder mystery way, we get sucked into what is perhaps the most believable of murder mysteries ever. The reason is simple. It's told as if two very ordinary, slightly bookish, not so slightly neurotic New Yorkers stumble on a murder.
It's the story of what we would all do if we thought our neighbor had murdered his wife. The bumbling, the doubts, the revelations, the sneaking around, the giggling.
It helps (a lot) that we have the reuniting of Allen with Diane Keaton, and it's a nice breeze in the room to have both Alan Alda at his ordinary guy best and Angelica Huston as a true New Yorker brimming with confidence and savvy. (Huston is from California, a daughter in the famous movie family. Alda, nicely enough, is a New Yorker for real.)
Don't expect anything deep, hilarious, or clever (three of the many intentions in Allen's movies). But it's really well made, superbly written, acted with utter believability, paced with snap, and filled with small surprises. Using the crack team Allen had in place in this period (set designer, photographer, editor, etc.), almost nothing could go wrong. As long as you like this kind of thing in the first place--a Woody Allen movie in the easy going vein.
I loved it.
This movie almost defines delightful--at least for people who already like Woody Allen. (For some, Allen will always be irritating, no matter how brilliant the movie.)
Without a shred of pretension, and without really any suspense in the usual murder mystery way, we get sucked into what is perhaps the most believable of murder mysteries ever. The reason is simple. It's told as if two very ordinary, slightly bookish, not so slightly neurotic New Yorkers stumble on a murder.
It's the story of what we would all do if we thought our neighbor had murdered his wife. The bumbling, the doubts, the revelations, the sneaking around, the giggling.
It helps (a lot) that we have the reuniting of Allen with Diane Keaton, and it's a nice breeze in the room to have both Alan Alda at his ordinary guy best and Angelica Huston as a true New Yorker brimming with confidence and savvy. (Huston is from California, a daughter in the famous movie family. Alda, nicely enough, is a New Yorker for real.)
Don't expect anything deep, hilarious, or clever (three of the many intentions in Allen's movies). But it's really well made, superbly written, acted with utter believability, paced with snap, and filled with small surprises. Using the crack team Allen had in place in this period (set designer, photographer, editor, etc.), almost nothing could go wrong. As long as you like this kind of thing in the first place--a Woody Allen movie in the easy going vein.
I loved it.
Allen-Keaton Reunion Enlivens a Not So Inconsequential Cat-and-Mouse Caper
EUyeshima11 August 2006
It's tempting to look at this fairly lightweight 1993 comedy mystery as a bookend for Woody Allen and Diane Keaton after his Mia Farrow years. After all, as a long-married Upper West Side couple, they rekindle their natural chemistry like no time has passed at all since 1977's "Annie Hall" and 1979's "Manhattan". That's the primary but not the only joy to be derived from watching this often hilarious cat-and-mouse tale.
As they see their son (a young Zach Braff) off to college, Carol and Larry Lipton have become mired in a routine marital routine until Lillian House, an elderly neighbor, suddenly dies. It appears to be a heart attack, but Carol suspects foul play involving Lillian's husband. Most of the plot has Carol sleuthing for clues to fit her Agatha Christie-like murder theory with the help of Ted, a friend too close for Larry's comfort. Of course, Larry thinks Carol is going off the deep end and becomes jealous of Ted's burgeoning involvement in the case. Enter Marcia Fox, a glamorous, crafty writer who devises creative ways to unearth the killer (the pre-recorded phone conversation scene is a hoot), and you have romantic complications mixed up chaotically with the mystery. Naturally the shenanigans enliven the Lipton marriage.
Co-written by Allen and Marshall Brickman, reunited years after those first two classic Allen-Keaton films, this is all fun stuff and a great excuse for the filmmaker to pay tribute to favorite classics like "The Thin Man", "Rear Window" and "The Lady from Shanghai". Allen is Allen as Larry, a good thing here, and Keaton is her breezy energetic self as Carol. Again using his unctuous personality to advantage, Alan Alda plays Ted like the talkative friend you don't quite trust. Ideally cast, Angelica Huston is at her cunning best as Marcia. Carlo DiPalma's cinematography is a bit too shaky for my taste especially when the details of the characters' clandestine actions are divulged. But the other Allen touches are in check here, and the result is an ingratiating entertainment. The DVD came out in 1998 and consequently has none of the extras we have come to expect from more recent releases.
As they see their son (a young Zach Braff) off to college, Carol and Larry Lipton have become mired in a routine marital routine until Lillian House, an elderly neighbor, suddenly dies. It appears to be a heart attack, but Carol suspects foul play involving Lillian's husband. Most of the plot has Carol sleuthing for clues to fit her Agatha Christie-like murder theory with the help of Ted, a friend too close for Larry's comfort. Of course, Larry thinks Carol is going off the deep end and becomes jealous of Ted's burgeoning involvement in the case. Enter Marcia Fox, a glamorous, crafty writer who devises creative ways to unearth the killer (the pre-recorded phone conversation scene is a hoot), and you have romantic complications mixed up chaotically with the mystery. Naturally the shenanigans enliven the Lipton marriage.
Co-written by Allen and Marshall Brickman, reunited years after those first two classic Allen-Keaton films, this is all fun stuff and a great excuse for the filmmaker to pay tribute to favorite classics like "The Thin Man", "Rear Window" and "The Lady from Shanghai". Allen is Allen as Larry, a good thing here, and Keaton is her breezy energetic self as Carol. Again using his unctuous personality to advantage, Alan Alda plays Ted like the talkative friend you don't quite trust. Ideally cast, Angelica Huston is at her cunning best as Marcia. Carlo DiPalma's cinematography is a bit too shaky for my taste especially when the details of the characters' clandestine actions are divulged. But the other Allen touches are in check here, and the result is an ingratiating entertainment. The DVD came out in 1998 and consequently has none of the extras we have come to expect from more recent releases.
Keaton & Allen reunited for fun flick!
mrcaw1227 April 2004
Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993) Dir: Woody Allen Supposedly Miss Keaton (never married by the way) only did this film as a favor to Mr. Allen who was enduring some rather unsavory press at the time concerning his breakup with actress Mia Farrow and his ensuing love affair with Miss Farrow's adopted teenage daughter. Because Allen needed a quick hit, he asked Keaton to help him out by starring in this murder mystery comedy. Luckily for Allen (and for that matter, Keaton) the movie was a hit.
Allen and Keaton star as husband and wife in a New York City apartment who suspect that their neighbor killed his wife! Angelica Houston and Alan Alda provide additional comic relief as friends helping the couple solve the mystery. Although the film takes its structure from Rear Window, Allen chose to end it with an homage to Orson Wells's classic mirror sequence in Lady From Shanghai. It's a very funny movie allowing Keaton and Allen to showcase their by now perfected New York City type characters.
Allen and Keaton star as husband and wife in a New York City apartment who suspect that their neighbor killed his wife! Angelica Houston and Alan Alda provide additional comic relief as friends helping the couple solve the mystery. Although the film takes its structure from Rear Window, Allen chose to end it with an homage to Orson Wells's classic mirror sequence in Lady From Shanghai. It's a very funny movie allowing Keaton and Allen to showcase their by now perfected New York City type characters.
Lightweight Woody
JamesHitchcock12 September 2019
Married couple Larry and Carol Lipton are invited in for coffee by their neighbours Paul and Lillian House and they spend a pleasant evening together, but the following day they learn that Lillian has died of a heart attack. Carol, surprised by how cheerful Paul seems after his wife's death. becomes first suspicious and then convinced that Lilian has been murdered. Larry remains sceptical, telling Carol that she's inventing a mystery where none exists, but Carol takes it upon herself to investigate with the assistance of Ted, a friend of Larry who shares her suspicions. Larry reluctantly gets involved, largely because he is becoming jealous of the amount of time Carol and Ted are spending together. And then Carol claims to have seen the supposedly dead Lillian on a bus.
1992/1993 was a difficult period in Woody Allen's life, the time of his break-up with Mia Farrow after becoming involved with her adopted daughter Soon-Yi. Farrow was originally slated to play Carol in this film, but after the split this became impossible, and Woody's former lover and muse Diane Keaton was cast instead. Apart from a brief cameo in "Radio Days", this was her first film with Woody since "Manhattan" in 1979, and it remains their last collaboration to date. (Unlike his break-up with Farrow, Woody's split from Keaton was relatively amicable, and they continued to work together even when they were no longer romantically involved).
Although he is not obviously Jewish, Larry is in other ways a typical Woody Allen character, a middle-class, intellectual New Yorker. He is also emotionally insecure, something shown by his jealousy of Ted and Carol, who are not romantically involved with one another. Unusually, however, Woody here plays the straight man to Keaton's frenetically neurotic motormouth. Carol might eventually be proved right about Paul's villainy- there is indeed plenty of skulduggery going on- but the fact that she initially suspected him on so little evidence suggests that she is not the most stable or rational of people.
The style of film-making here is similar to that in Woody's previous film, "Husbands and Wives which was distinguished by muted colours, oblique camera angles and two (or sometimes more) characters trying to speak at once, at times giving it a rather amateurish feel. The same features occur in "Manhattan Murder Mystery", especially when Larry and Carol are having one of their verbal duels. (She normally wins; for once, Woody finds himself up against someone who can talk more, and talk faster, than he can). Woody also seems to be avoiding using close-ups as much as possible; conversations are often filmed from a distance, with both parties in the shot at the same time and neither of them in focus.
Woody, of course, has a vast knowledge of film history, and frequently likes to make reference to older films in his own works. Sometimes this cannibalising of the past can be productive; "Play It Again, Sam", for example, with its ghostly Bogart, is one of his best. Here, however, I couldn't really see the point of turning the ending into an homage to a similar scene in Orson Welles' "The Lady from Shanghai", unless the idea was to make the audience think "Gosh, Woody really does know his film noir!" Those audience members who haven't seen Welles's film- as I hadn't when I first saw "Manhattan Murder Mystery" in 1993- will probably find the whole scene a bit baffling. In order to set up this scene Woody came up with a plotline whereby Paul is restoring an old, disused movie theatre, a detail rather at odds with the front Paul likes to present to the world of being a dull, unambitious middle-class retiree.
When Woody deals with serious crime, especially murder, the result can be something very dark and metaphysical, as in "Crimes and Misdemeanors" from 1989 or the more recent "Match Point". In "Manhattan Murder Mystery" and Carol and Ted's suspicions prove well-founded, but the film is surprisingly light in tone, a murder mystery comedy rather than an investigation into the meaning of life, the universe and everything. This tone came as a bit of a surprise to the critics, as the film came after a run of several more serious dramas, including "Crimes and Misdemeanors", "Alice" and "Husbands and Wives". Woody explained that he made the film as a form of therapy after his emotional problems- "I wanted to just indulge myself in something I could relax and enjoy"- so it is perhaps not surprising that it turned out rather lightweight by comparison with some of his other films. There are some occasional funny lines, but "Manhattan Murder Mystery" does not really rank among Woody's best. 7/10
1992/1993 was a difficult period in Woody Allen's life, the time of his break-up with Mia Farrow after becoming involved with her adopted daughter Soon-Yi. Farrow was originally slated to play Carol in this film, but after the split this became impossible, and Woody's former lover and muse Diane Keaton was cast instead. Apart from a brief cameo in "Radio Days", this was her first film with Woody since "Manhattan" in 1979, and it remains their last collaboration to date. (Unlike his break-up with Farrow, Woody's split from Keaton was relatively amicable, and they continued to work together even when they were no longer romantically involved).
Although he is not obviously Jewish, Larry is in other ways a typical Woody Allen character, a middle-class, intellectual New Yorker. He is also emotionally insecure, something shown by his jealousy of Ted and Carol, who are not romantically involved with one another. Unusually, however, Woody here plays the straight man to Keaton's frenetically neurotic motormouth. Carol might eventually be proved right about Paul's villainy- there is indeed plenty of skulduggery going on- but the fact that she initially suspected him on so little evidence suggests that she is not the most stable or rational of people.
The style of film-making here is similar to that in Woody's previous film, "Husbands and Wives which was distinguished by muted colours, oblique camera angles and two (or sometimes more) characters trying to speak at once, at times giving it a rather amateurish feel. The same features occur in "Manhattan Murder Mystery", especially when Larry and Carol are having one of their verbal duels. (She normally wins; for once, Woody finds himself up against someone who can talk more, and talk faster, than he can). Woody also seems to be avoiding using close-ups as much as possible; conversations are often filmed from a distance, with both parties in the shot at the same time and neither of them in focus.
Woody, of course, has a vast knowledge of film history, and frequently likes to make reference to older films in his own works. Sometimes this cannibalising of the past can be productive; "Play It Again, Sam", for example, with its ghostly Bogart, is one of his best. Here, however, I couldn't really see the point of turning the ending into an homage to a similar scene in Orson Welles' "The Lady from Shanghai", unless the idea was to make the audience think "Gosh, Woody really does know his film noir!" Those audience members who haven't seen Welles's film- as I hadn't when I first saw "Manhattan Murder Mystery" in 1993- will probably find the whole scene a bit baffling. In order to set up this scene Woody came up with a plotline whereby Paul is restoring an old, disused movie theatre, a detail rather at odds with the front Paul likes to present to the world of being a dull, unambitious middle-class retiree.
When Woody deals with serious crime, especially murder, the result can be something very dark and metaphysical, as in "Crimes and Misdemeanors" from 1989 or the more recent "Match Point". In "Manhattan Murder Mystery" and Carol and Ted's suspicions prove well-founded, but the film is surprisingly light in tone, a murder mystery comedy rather than an investigation into the meaning of life, the universe and everything. This tone came as a bit of a surprise to the critics, as the film came after a run of several more serious dramas, including "Crimes and Misdemeanors", "Alice" and "Husbands and Wives". Woody explained that he made the film as a form of therapy after his emotional problems- "I wanted to just indulge myself in something I could relax and enjoy"- so it is perhaps not surprising that it turned out rather lightweight by comparison with some of his other films. There are some occasional funny lines, but "Manhattan Murder Mystery" does not really rank among Woody's best. 7/10
not quite to die for
rupie28 July 2000
Woody makes a return to straight comedy here after detours into drama such as "Crimes and Misdemeanors" and "Husbands and Wives", and confused efforts such as "Alice". Here the story concerns a middle aged Manhattan couple who become involved in the death of the wife of their across-the-hall neighbor. Keaton, as Allen's wife, becomes more and more suspicious about the death and starts to play amateur detective, much to the wise-cracking Woody's dismay. (my favorite line: "There's nothing wrong with you a little Prozac and a polo mallet can't fix.").
Despite Woody's humorous presence, the story never evolves from a murder mystery into the expected zany Allen adventure. There are no tricks or plot surprises here; rather, the story settles into an actual (and rather mundane) murder mystery, enlivened only by Woody's witty lines and a lame love interest between Keaton and Alda. There is an actual suspenseful plot culmination which seems gratingly out of place in an Allen comedy, and the close of the movie seems to stop rather than end. All in all, a subpar effort from the Woodmeister.
Despite Woody's humorous presence, the story never evolves from a murder mystery into the expected zany Allen adventure. There are no tricks or plot surprises here; rather, the story settles into an actual (and rather mundane) murder mystery, enlivened only by Woody's witty lines and a lame love interest between Keaton and Alda. There is an actual suspenseful plot culmination which seems gratingly out of place in an Allen comedy, and the close of the movie seems to stop rather than end. All in all, a subpar effort from the Woodmeister.
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