Hannah and Her Sisters.

Hannah and her sisters, lee and Holly.

Another movie from Woody Allan about the arty farty upper middle class and their morally incomprehensible baggage.  Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) chronicle’s the story of an extended New York family over a period between two-thanksgiving celebrations. Hannah, a successful actress, is married to Elliot, who feels inadequate and falls in love with her sister Lee. Lee lives with a much older reclusive artist and for a time returns Elliot's rather clumsy advances. Hannah's hypochondriac ex-husband Mickey rekindles his relationship with her sister Holly, a former cocaine addict who does not seem able to settle to any one career and depends on Hannah's monetary hand-outs. There are even more dubious relationship’s including Hannah’s mother and father who seem unable to except there advancing years.

Hannah and her ex husband Mickey.

Credit where credits due, Allan can write a cracking script at times, and this is one of them bringing a new meaning to share and share alike!  When his writing is good it's very good and this film boasts his great sense of wicked humour. Not content with writing and directing Allan also appears in the film as Mickey just one of the immensely unlikeable character's that always inhabit Allan's world. This episodic movie stars Mia Farrow as Hannah, Michael Caine as Elliot, Barbara Hershey and Dianne Wiest as the sisters Lee and Holly. With a soundtrack that compliments the movie, it ranks as one of Allan's most successful movies receiving seven Academy Awards nominations, winning Best Screenplay for Allan and Best Supporting actor and actress for Caine and Wiest. Not quite up there with Radio Day's (1987) but so very much better than his recent work. Worth a look even for non-Allan fans like myself.

Michael Caine won Best Supporting Actor for his role as Elliott.