Woody Allen at his best: baring his insecurities and shortcomings, muttering and mumbling his way through a string of sharp, witty statements, experimenting with film techniques, admiring the lost landscape of 1970s New York and, still, finding time for a rich, colorful portrayal of a years-long romance.

Allen and Diane Keaton really make the film work, their rapport is so smooth, easy and genuine. We want to see them tough it out together, because their good times are so pure and true, but we know that fresh infatuation has a relatively short shelf life and the characters' essential differences make a longer, more serious relationship impossible. We see it all in a string of short snapshots, an expert mix of vital moments that anyone who's been through such a whirlwind will no doubt recognize. Those early, sunny memories you won't forget and the later, stormier ones you can't.

Funny and poignant, with a dash of playful fourth-wall recognizance to keep us on our toes, it expertly churns all sorts of universal emotions.