MANHATTAN MURDER MYSTERY

US, 1993, 108 minutes, Colour.
Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Alan Alda, Anjelica Huston.
Directed by Woody Allen.

Manhattan Murder Mystery is a light Woody Allen comedy, co written with Marshall Brickman (Husbands and Wives). The film was made at the beginning of Woody Allen's public disputes with Mia Farrow over the custody of their children. However, nothing of this appears in the film. Allen is as neurotic and relaxed as ever, full of wit and one-liners. The film is a very light comedy - spoof of detective stories (with acknowledgment to Double Indemnity and The Lady from Shanghai).

Diane Keaton, who had appeared with Allen in so many of his films of the '70s, returns to work with him. It is a very good role for her. Alan Alda appeared in Crimes and Misdemeanours, as did Anjelica Houston, and they join him here. In fact, as always, the ensemble cast is excellent.

The film is yet again a manifestation of Allen's love for New York City - especially the way it is photographed and the musical score.

1.The work of Woody Allen, his skill in comedy, portraying relationships, love for the American cinema?

2.Woody Allen's love of New York, the apartments and the streets, restaurants and hotels? The strong musical score, the lyrics for New York? The Guys and Dolls excerpt? The jazz background?

3.The title and expectations - murder, via Woody Allen?

4.The theme of the film, intuitions and suspicions rampant, the role of gossip? Art imitating fiction? Detecting the truth?

5.Audience enjoyment of crimes, clues, detection, hypotheses?

6.Woody Allen as Larry - the Woody Allen character, New Yorker, ageing, flip, cultivated - with ambitions for being heroic?

7.Carol and Larry, middle-aged, their son Nicholas, his appearance for his birthday meal, the gift of the sweater? The opening with the hockey game and Larry's enthusiasm, Carol bored, the return visit to Wagner and Larry's remarks? Seeing them at home, going out, Larry at work and publishing, the rapport between Diane Keaton and Woody Allen, working off each other? With Alan Alda and Anjelica Houston? The contrasts? The significance of the last line about Larry's heroism?

8.Mr and Mrs House, Paul and Lilian, Jewish family, seemingly genteel and friendly, the invitation to their home, the incessant talk, looking at the stamp albums, talking about health? Larry wanting to see the Bob Hope movie? Exchanging desserts? Lillian’s death, the police, the caretaker (and his drinking)? Carol and Larry's reaction? The story of the twin graves? The beginnings of suspicion, Carol and her intuitions, telling this to Ted, the phone calls, the gossip, increasing the expectations and mood? Paul House going out in the night, Carol looking at him, Larry exasperated? Ringing to see if he was in? Carol and her discussion with the janitor, getting the key, searching his apartment, his return, her listening, hiding under the bed, losing her glasses - and the comedy of their retrieval?

9.Larry and his reaction, exasperation, woken in the middle of the night, the perpetual contrast with Ted? Larry's suspicions - and the memories of the trip around Europe? Carol and Ted's version of the same night? Going out with their friends and discussing things at the restaurant?

10.Ted in himself, the writer, going out with them, feeding Carol's speculation, able to research, watching for Helen with Carol - and his strategy of calling out Helen's name? Being fixed up with Marcia? His involvement in the detection, the wine-tasting, returning to where Carol had seen Mrs House? Tracking down Helen Moss, listening to her story, the relationship with her?

11.Marcia, her style, her books, her philosophy? Wanting to date Larry, teaching him how to play poker? Fixed up with Ted? Meeting Larry and Carol with Nicholas? Her involvement, Helen, the tape, the phone calls - and her being able to offer the various hypotheses and solutions?

12.Carol and her obsession with the search, seeing Mrs House after the wine tasting, having Larry watch the hotel, their finding the body, the police and the interrogation, in the elevator and its stalling, Larry and his claustrophobia, Mrs House's body? Finding the cleaner in the apartment? The furthering of their plan, the help of Ted and Marcia, the tape-recordings, playing them to Mr House - and Larry and his mixing up the tapes? Paul House and his capturing of Carol and taking her hostage?

13.Larry and the body, the elevator, following Paul House - and seeing him incinerate the corpse? His jealousy of Ted, the plan, the tape-recordings and his messing them up, the bluffing of Paul House on the phone about his wife's body, the encounter with Mrs Dalton, the model in the boot, the fight with House, the shootings, rescuing Carol?

14.The theories and clues, the truth about Mr and Mrs House, her sister, the death, the cremation, the urn in the kitchen, the hotel, the dead body, Mrs Dalton and the alibi and her jealousy, the tapes, the violence, the confrontation with Mrs Dalton? The truth about Mr House and Helen and the selling of the theatre?

15.The echoes of Double Indemnity, The Lady from Shanghai and The Hall of Mirrors? Woody Allen and his comedy of relationships, New York comedy, gossip - and the tradition of the private eye detection?