The Woody Allen Collection, Set 3 (Hannah and Her Sisters / The Purple Rose of Cairo / Broadway Danny Rose / Zelig / A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy / Radio Days)

The Woody Allen Collection, Set 3 (Hannah and Her Sisters / The Purple Rose of Cairo / Broadway Danny Rose / Zelig / A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy / Radio Days)
This Woody Allen boxed set captures the first half of what could be called Allen's "Mia period," his films from the early 1980s. The lighthearted A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy, about the neurotic romping of a bunch of friends at a country house, marks the beginning of Woody and Mia Farrow's film relationship, followed by Zelig, Allen's clever pseudo-documentary of a man who just wants to fit in. Broadway Danny Rose, the tale of a mediocre talent agent who gets involved with a client's wife, is seen as a trifle by some but held as one of Allen's best films by others. But the next two are a pair of undisputed knockouts: The Purple Rose of Cairo, in which the hero of a movie (Jeff Daniels) steps off the screen to help a woeful waitress (Farrow). The ending is at first heart-wrenching, then finds a wistful hope. Hannah and Her Sisters is possibly, after Annie Hall, Allen's most loved movie, with its Chekhovian mix of love and sorrow in the lives of three sisters (Farrow, Dianne Wiest, and Barbara Hershey). Hannah won a number of awards, including Oscars^® for best screenplay and supporting acting for both Wiest and Michael Caine (as Farrow's husband). Finally, the nostalgic Radio Days rounds out the set with a gentle look at entertainment back when people had to dream up their own pictures. These six films represent one of Allen's strongest periods; he moved fluidly from comedy to drama, avoiding big statements but ruefully exploring the foibles of humanity. --Bret Fetzer
Customer Review: Win Some, Loose Some
Certainly not the best of Woody. Yes, there IS Zelig and Hannah and Her Sisters, but the rest of the collection I think even Woody would like to forget.
Customer Review: More of a Good Thing
"Hannah" is a grand film, one of the best in years, a film which stands up after some twenty years. The acting is magnificent, beginning with Michael Caine , of course, but there isn't a weak moment in the entire picture. One grand slam would be enough of anybody, but this collection includes another minor masterpiece, "Purple Rose." This one is deep and moving, as well as being cute and fun. One element of Allen's genius is his love of silliness, a painful talent to possess, according to Allen, who evidently prefers the dark side. Still, there is that Groucho Marx-quality in him and it is shown well here, where actors hop on and off the screen, and shock us with their sweet innocence. Farrow takes steps here that will mature into one of the great film persona of the decade. She has it all, and Allen had the genius to see it.