When a director has as wide and varied a career as Woody Allen (where he was essentially directing one film a year at his peak), we often find that there is an enormous debate about what their best film is, which is not made any easier when they show such a remarkable aptitude at every kind of genre, and demonstrate themselves to be the epitome of versatility, even if they are known for one or two genres in particular. In recent years, it has become more common to find people who consider Everyone Says I Love You to be Allen’s best film, to the point where it is a popular choice for a mid-career masterpiece that has only grown in estimation as the years have progressed. This is undeniably one of his greatest achievements, delicate and tender romance that has many moments of soaring beauty, as told through the art of song and dance, which was previously untrodden territory for the director, who naturally proves his mettle as one of our great living filmmakers, someone whose ability to evoke an environment of enchanting fantasy and heartfelt comedy works in conjunction with bold artistic choices in the construction of this film, which feels so much more endearing than many terrific musical films to which it is often compared. Filled to the brim with heart, humour and a sense of pure magic, and taking place across three of the most magical cities in the world (namely New York City, Venice and Paris), Everyone Says I Love You is a triumph, a beautifully poetic and blisteringly funny film that allows us to be immersed in this stunning version of the world, one in which the laws of logic may not be all that important, but at the very least makes for profoundly endearing and compelling viewing, which is all this film was aiming to achieve, and it does so with flying colours.

Looking at Everyone Says I Love You, it’s not difficult to understand precisely why it has become so beloved – it sees the esteemed director taking the kinds of genres he was most comfortable with – namely comedy and romance – and blending them with popular jazz standards, which he is very passionate about (its odd to find an Allen film that does not start with those recognizable white titles set to some iconic jazz song from yesteryear), and filtering it through a story that feels daring and captivating. At the time in which this film was made, film musicals were in something of a slump (and would only be reinvigorated a few years later, with films like Moulin Rouge! and Chicago, which breathed new life into the genre and showed that audiences were more than willing to engage with this storytelling format), so he was certainly taking a risk here, but one that obviously had terrific results. Allen is a great writer and director, but he’s also someone who adores the art world, which factors into a majority of his films in some way – music, literature, cinema and the visual arts are often the source of his greatest works, and when combined with his unique perspective on romance, it nearly always becomes something extraordinarily special, particularly when he doesn’t overthink the premise, and just allows everything to transpire organically and with the kind of nuance we have come to expect from him. Everyone Says I Love You is an excellent film primarily because of the way it takes so many ideas and presents them with nothing but candour and heartfulness, allowing it to easily enrapture us and take the viewer on a journey that may defy reason, but still has a depth that is undeniably warranted through the intricately-composed storyline and its masterful execution.

One of the benefits of being one of the most acclaimed directors working in the industry is that you have a wide range of exceptional actors to choose from, and Allen never let this opportunity go to waste, populating many of his films with iconic performers, who in turn do some of their very best work under his direction. Everyone Says I Love You has one of his most eclectic casts, consisting of some of the greatest actors of their time, plucked from several different generations, which ultimately fits in with the theme of the film, which is mainly that love is timeless. Finding a standout is impossible – everyone from industry veterans like Alan Alda and Goldie Hawn (as well as Allen himself, who is at his most sympathetic), to major stars of the day like Julia Roberts and Edward Norton, to newcomers like Natasha Lyonne (who is our de facto protagonist and narrator) and Natalie Portman, make this film feel positively alive, each one of them committing thoroughly to the premise. Rather than casting professional singers or those with a background in musical theatre, Allen chose people known primarily for their acting abilities, and had them perform in what he dubbed “regular voices”, meaning that the emphasis was less on the melodic prowess of these actors when performing, and more on their ability to sell the character and convincingly play these roles, which are carefully tailor-made for each actor by Allen, who plays on their fundamental strengths as performers, but also pushes them out of their comfort zone enough to qualify it as a very meaningful film that contains strong work from every performer, regardless of whether they are major characters or those that just appear in one or two scenes, becoming a true ensemble effort in every sense of the word.

Choosing to make a musical was quite an intriguing choice, since Allen had never made an official musical prior to this (nor would he return to the genre), but his films have always been driven by a very particular rhythm, a musicality that feels like it was written by someone who views every line of dialogue as a potential lyric, and every movement as a brief moment of dance. Musical interludes in his previous films have shown that he is passionate about the role music plays in telling a story, so there was very little doubt that, when constructing a film of his own, that the results would be nothing short of exhilarating. His writing process has always been about finding the melodies of human existence and filtering them into nuanced, captivating tales of desire, love, existential dread and philosophical pondering – and then layers of humour and heartfulness just elevate them and make them even more effective. To do all of this, but in the format of a musical, is certainly not an easy feat, and Allen deserves every bit of acclaim for how he seamlessly weaves these songs (which were pre-existing, but are given new life under the careful curation of the director and his actors – many of them have never seemed more beautiful than when sung by these performers) in with a narrative that isn’t defined by the performances, but rather beautifully complemented. It’s a unique and very audacious approach to telling a story that highlights the beauty of falling in love, which is shown to be a magical experience in itself, which gives the film the sense of complexity and humour that is so incredibly important and impactful, and simply just so endearing, in both the concept and its eventual manifestation on screen.

The film Allen has made here is an ambitious experiment that works out wonderfully, since there is a level of complexity to how each one of these people are constructed, and how every actor is willing to leap into the unknown for the sake of telling this memorable story. It adds to the communal aspect of the film, and one that plays on the fact that Everyone Says I Love You is a film that, just like anyone is capable of singing and dancing, everyone can fall deeply in love. It’s a film that feels like it was handcrafted by someone who does not only understand comedy, music and romance, but is capable of capturing the raw essence of the human condition, which is reflected in every stunning scene of this remarkable film. It’s hilarious and irreverent in some parts, and deeply melancholic in others – but the quality that is shared universally throughout the film is that of pure, unadulterated passion. There is an argument to be made that this is one of the most romantic films of its era, and perhaps of all time, since there is so much genuine nuance and complexity embedded in the relatively straightforward premise, its almost impossible to not fall hopelessly in love with this film and see the striking beauty pulsating through every scene. Pitch-perfect in tone and approach, and made by someone clearly passionate about this material, Everyone Says I Love You is an absolute marvel of a film, and a work of pure art that demonstrates that even when doing something that can be considered a slight departure, Allen is able to produce something truly extraordinary and unforgettable.