September Blu-Ray   Arrow Films

Inspired by the great chamber-plays of Anton Chekhov, Woody Allen's sixteenth film returns to the territory of Interiors and Hannah and Her Sisters in its focus on the lives and loves of a small group of characters. There's the emotionally fragile Lane (Mia Farrow), who's returned to her childhood home in Vermont to recuperate, and have a summer romance with neighbouring writer Peter (Sam Waterston). But Peter seems more interested in her sister Stephanie (Dianne Wiest), while family friend Howard (Denholm Elliott) is nurturing an unrequited passion for Lane. Meanwhile, Lane and Stephanie's overbearing mother (Elaine Stritch), currently on her third husband (Jack Warden) has an announcement to make that threatens to reveal a long-buried family secret... A haunting, superbly constructed film which examines the intricate world of human emotions and the delicate threads that hold them together, September is beautifully acted by an all-star cast, with dialogue that rings painfully true in its understanding of the heart's infinite mysteries, even if this isn't necessarily recognised by those delivering it.