Review of Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989) by Aaron N — 09 Jun 2008

Judah Rosenthal: I remember my father telling me, "The eyes of God are on us always." The eyes of God. What a phrase to a young boy. What were God's eyes like? Unimaginably penetrating, intense eyes, I assumed. And I wonder if it was just a coincidence I made my specialty ophthalmology.

The more I think about it, the more I believe this to be my favorite Woody Allen film.

It has an exceptionally strong cast. A wonderful split story. The dialog is of course greatly written in true Allen tradition. It has a wonderful soundtrack. It is one of Allen's best works in terms of a well made film, complete with well imputed flashbacks, cutting, and editing. It also plays situations for the darker, which works very well for the picture.

Lester: Comedy is tragedy plus time!

Story one is a typical Woody Allen styled comedy/drama. Allen plays a struggling documentary filmmaker. He is seemingly unhappily married and has just been given the terrible but needed work of making a film about his pompous brother-in-law played by Alan Alda. This is pretty terrible for him, but he meets a woman on the production, played by Mia Farrow, which he wishes to pursue a relation with.

Cliff Stern: It's probably just as well. I plagiarized most of it from James Joyce. You probably wondered why all the references to Dublin.

Story two involves a successful eye doctor Judah, played wonderfully by Martin Landaou. While he is well respected, he is having an affair with an obsessive woman, played by Anjelica Huston. As she seems to be trying to hurt him by revealing the truth to his wife, Landau is forced to come to a decision based on the advice from both a rabbi who is going blind, played by Sam Waterston, and his brother Jack, a small-time gangster.

Ben: It's a human life. You don't think God sees?

Judah Rosenthal: God is a luxury I can't afford.

The two stories have many similar themes, of course played for different effect, before eventually coming together. The film itself has multiple layers and is all ingeniously constructed to work on many levels.

It is of course also set in New York, which provides for wonderful scenery in terms of showing many sides of the city.

This is truly a great film in all respects, filled with wonderful dialog and moving along at a perfect pace to reflect on both stories.

Cliff Stern: I think I see a cab. If we run quickly we can kick the crutch from that old lady and get it.