Manhattan Murder Mystery

I mentioned in my review of The Lady From Shanghai that the climactic scene, a shootout in a hall of mirrors, has often been copied or parodied, no more so than Woody Allen's 1993 film, Manhattan Murder Mystery. That got me to dig it out of my collection and give it another look. It is certainly not on the level of his best films, but it is an entertaining gem.

The script had been hatched back in the 70s, and in fact was the basis of Annie Hall, which, believe it or not, was originally envisioned as a mystery. Allen kept the idea and re-teamed with Annie Hall co-scribe Marshall Brickman, and this time a murder mystery comedy was created. The film succeeds mostly as a comedy, although the mystery is clever and there is some nice moments of suspense.

The film is notable as being the first one made after Allen's notorious breakup with Mia Farrow (the shit hit the fan during the making of Husbands and Wives, so watch that knowing that Farrow knew about Allen's affair with Soon-Yi Previn while she was performing). Farrow was replaced by Allen's old pal Diane Keaton, and this would be their eighth and, to now, last teaming.

Allen and Keaton play a married couple who are getting a little stale in their relationship. They meet some neighbors, and when the wife dies the next night, Keaton gets suspicious. Allen pooh-poohs any notion of foul play, but Keaton finds an enthusiastic ear in their friend, Alan Alda.

Keaton, like a middle-aged Nancy Drew, pries into things, even going into the widowed man's apartment (he's played by Jerry Adler). Allen is aghast, and is also jealous of Alda, who does pine for Keaton. Eventually Allen sees that Keaton is right, and the mystery ends with a shooting in a room full of glass. Not only that, but the storeroom is behind a movie screen that is actually playing Welles' film.

We know we are in Woody Allen territory with the white Windsor Light Condensed font over a black screen, and the sound of Bobby Short singing Cole Porter's "I Happen To Like New York." Manhattan Murder Mystery is really not that much different than previous Allen comedies--it romanticizes New York (Carlo DiPalma's photography, often depicting rainy afternoons, is gorgeous) but has witty urbane types cracking jokes. The only difference is that this time there's a murder.

The subtext is interesting, given what was going on in Allen's life at the time. The underlying emotion is jealousy--Allen is jealous of Keaton bonding with Alda, and then, after one of Allen's authors (he plays a book editor), Anjelica Huston, gets involved in the mystery, Keaton becomes jealous of her.

Their are numerous funny lines that stay with me. After the shootout in the glass-filled room, Keaton says they should call the police, and Allen adds, "and a glazier." When impersonating a police detective, Allen says, "They lowered the height requirement." And in a perfect coda, Allen tells Keaton about Alda, "If you take away his elevator shoes, his suntan, and his capped teeth, what have you got?" Keaton, without missing a beat, says, "You!"

In an interesting casting note, Zach Braff plays Allen and Keaton's college-age son. Blink and you'll miss him.