Play It Again, Sam

Herbert Ross | 1972 | ★★★★
Excellent comic performances, wittily incisive writing, and skilfully restrained direction combine to hugely entertaining effect, in this prototypical Woody Allen romantic comedy. Allen plays Allan, a film-loving obsessive being helped through his divorce by married friends Linda (Diane Keaton), a fellow neurotic, and Dick (Tony Roberts), an unashamed workaholic. Setting him up on a series of blind dates, their help proves decidedly unsuccessful but of nevertheless considerable comfort. However, spending so much time together, and egged on by the screen spirit of Humphrey Bogart (Jerry Lacy), Allan and Linda soon find themselves falling for each other... Delightful.