"Feels Like Old Times"
I remember the first time I saw Annie Hall, I was none too impressed. I didn't think it was as funny as people made it out to be, and I found it thoroughly depressing. I seem to recall reading a review afterwards that said that the theme of Annie Hall was "love dies"; okay, I can see that, I thought, except that their love never seemed to thrive or go through any good times, but just died slowly and continuously, so that it was like an unnecessary heap of depressingness to dwell on how they couldn't make it work out.
It's amazing to see how much time changes you, even though you think you haven't done much since then, or that you were pretty intelligent even in your girlish days. I saw Annie Hall the first time before I had known a broken heart, and so I couldn't empathize with the desperation - even though I could process it on a cogitative level (and conclude that it was a depressing thing) - of watching your chance go by and fade away, and trying everything you can to save it, all while knowing that it won't make a difference. The "good times" of the relationship in Annie Hall were not the important part. It was enough that they were implied, like through all the horrible dates in between that made Alvy realize, via comparison, that he and Annie were happy together even though they fought most of their onscreen time. In fact, their happy moments onscreen are pretty much extraneous, because no one cares to see happy people in love. And anyways, I've come to think that that's how real-life relationships are: most of the time, they're a lot of work, and a huge pain in the ass compared to being alone, and a lot of fighting and compromise. The happy moments - when you're not playing mind games, when you're on the same page as your lover and enthusiastic and willing; when you love and feel loved - are few and far in between; but the memory of it is so compelling that it carries you through all the bad times, and convinces you when you're trying out other relationships that you can't do it, that nothing but the one was ever worth it.
That's why I thought Diane Keaton's performance of "Feels Like Old Times" (twice) was so appropriate and poignant. Very little of love exists outside our memories. We do it all for the sake of those old times.
It's amazing to see how much time changes you, even though you think you haven't done much since then, or that you were pretty intelligent even in your girlish days. I saw Annie Hall the first time before I had known a broken heart, and so I couldn't empathize with the desperation - even though I could process it on a cogitative level (and conclude that it was a depressing thing) - of watching your chance go by and fade away, and trying everything you can to save it, all while knowing that it won't make a difference. The "good times" of the relationship in Annie Hall were not the important part. It was enough that they were implied, like through all the horrible dates in between that made Alvy realize, via comparison, that he and Annie were happy together even though they fought most of their onscreen time. In fact, their happy moments onscreen are pretty much extraneous, because no one cares to see happy people in love. And anyways, I've come to think that that's how real-life relationships are: most of the time, they're a lot of work, and a huge pain in the ass compared to being alone, and a lot of fighting and compromise. The happy moments - when you're not playing mind games, when you're on the same page as your lover and enthusiastic and willing; when you love and feel loved - are few and far in between; but the memory of it is so compelling that it carries you through all the bad times, and convinces you when you're trying out other relationships that you can't do it, that nothing but the one was ever worth it.
That's why I thought Diane Keaton's performance of "Feels Like Old Times" (twice) was so appropriate and poignant. Very little of love exists outside our memories. We do it all for the sake of those old times.
posted by Rex at 3:33 PM
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