the woody breakdown

Four masterpieces, six near-great films, 11 flat-out good films, eight flawed but worthy films and six contemptible bombs:

For the sake of this discussion, I'm defining masterpiece as a movie that either could not be better or has no need to be better. That is not merely satisfying but somehow transcends its surface meaning and lingers in a way that suggests a deeper wisdom and significance. Into that category, I'd put "Annie Hall," "Manhattan," "Hannah and Her Sisters" and "Crimes and Misdemeanors."

I'm defining near-great as a movie that's completely successful and satisfying but lacks that elusive extra something that makes for a masterpiece. Into this category I'm placing "Play It Again, Sam" (which he wrote but didn't direct), "Zelig," "The Purple Rose of Cairo," "Radio Days," "Bullets Over Broadway" and "Match Point," his latest, which is being released in January. Even then, aside from "Bullets Over Broadway" and "Match Point," I'm not completely sure these titles belong here. They may be masterpieces that haven't completely ripened over time.

I'm defining flat-out good those films that are undeniably enjoyable and successful. Into this category I'm placing "Take the Money and Run," "Sleeper," "Love and Death," "Interiors," "Stardust Memories," "Broadway Danny Rose," "September," "Another Woman," "Manhattan Murder Mystery," "Mighty Aphrodite" and "Deconstructing Harry." Again, I'm trying to grade a little tough, in that I'm not all that sure that "Love and Death" and "Broadway Danny Rose" don't belong in the near-great category.

Flawed but worthy movies are ones that don't quite work and yet they're either amusing or intelligent enough to be satisfying. Into this category, I'd put "Bananas," "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Sex ... ," "A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy," "Husbands and Wives," "Sweet and Lowdown," "Small-Time Crooks," "Hollywood Ending" and "Melinda and Melinda."

Finally, bombs need no definition. Allen's bombs, by my account, are "Alice," "Shadows and Fog," "Everyone Says I Love You," "Celebrity," "Curse of the Jade Scorpion" and "Anything Else." Give the man credit. He has a range. His bad movies are as awful as any ever made.

note: i don't agree with all of this - i think "deconstructing harry," "love and death," "everything you ever wanted to know about sex," and some others deserve to be bumped up a category or two.