Review of Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) by Raheem H — 12 Jan 2013

A real classic. Raises some very interesting questions about where we get our moral compass from. While this does contain the usual strain of Woody Allen humour ("Last time I was inside a woman was when I visited the Statue of Liberty" ), it also carries some serious philosophical dialogue about moral decision making.

This is a subject Allen returns to with equal success in Match Point, but Crimes and Misdemeanors stands out as one of the very best of his films. It is helped immensely by terrific performances from Martin Landau and Anjelica Huston.

Landau (who many will remember from TV's Space 1999) plays the troubled Doctor Judah with absolute perfection. I didn't know he had it in him.