Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
Genre: Comedy / Drama
Duration: 104 minuten
Country:
United States
Directed by: Woody Allen
Stars: Martin Landau, Woody Allen and Anjelica Huston
IMDb score:
7,8 (61.962)
Releasedate: 13 October 1989
This movie is not available on US streaming services.
Crimes and Misdemeanors plot
"A film about humanity."
Judah Rosenthal (Martin Landau) has been in a relationship with Dolores (Anjelica Huston) for several years now. Now, however, she threatens to ruin his life if he doesn't marry her. When his brother Jack suggests that Dolores be killed, Judah is faced with a major moral dilemma. Meanwhile, filmmaker Clifford Stern (Woody Allen) tries to make a documentary about a philosophy professor. Instead, however, he has to paint a portrait of the successful brother-in-law Lester.
Actors and actresses
Cliff Stern
Judah Rosenthal
Halley Reed
Lester
Dolores Paley
Wendy Stern
Ben
Jack Rosenthal
Jenny
Barbara
Reviews & comments
Leno
-
- 5910 messages
- 4322 votes
One of Allen's best films full of strong dialogue that is not only funny, but also profound. The interaction with Alda is strong and produces the necessary jokes. The story isn't surprising once you've seen more of Allen's oeuvre, but the details are very good. It's also great how he makes a fairly pretentious film but immediately uses it and takes it down. Nice climax too.
Translated from Dutch · View original
Mescaline
-
- 7047 messages
- 2961 votes
What a wonderful film this remains by Woody, who knows how to connect 2 storylines in a beautiful way and repeatedly asks the viewer the question of what is allowed and what goes too far? It is also interesting that we can understand the 2 main characters (including Woody himself) through facial expressions and dialogues. A very interesting view! The only thing I didn't like is the storyline between Woody & Mia, but well, at that time Woody always gave a standard role to his wife at the time and that is also understandable, although I am personally a bigger fan of Diane Keaton. 
4 stars stay where they are!
Translated from Dutch · View original
Dievegge
-
- 3094 messages
- 8012 votes
God you see, was the text that used to hang in many living rooms, under an eye in a triangle. The idea of eyes seeing or not seeing is a central motif here. The two main characters, Judah and Cliff, both have visual professions: ophthalmologist and documentary filmmaker. The rabbi becomes blind, like the seer Tiresias. The corpse of Dolores has open eyes - that see nothing anymore. Judah and Lester are successful in the eyes of society. The existentialist philosopher Levy claims that there is no all-seeing God, but an indifferent universe to which people try to give meaning.
The title is a nod to Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment. Again, it's about the philosophy of conscience, but Woody Allen draws a different conclusion. If there's no all-seeing God, you can get away with a crime. When Judah learns that Dolores has been murdered, he literally washes his hands in innocence.
Two storylines run parallel to each other. The story of Judah begins as a tragedy, is serious and dark in tone. Cliff's story begins as a comedy. His body language makes it clear that he is not an admirer of the acclaimed Lester. His montage with the images of Mussolini suggests that Lester has fascist tendencies. Woody Allen reserved the best one-liner for himself: "The last time I was inside a woman was when I visited the Statue of Liberty." In the end, the two storylines converge. Ironically, things end well for the tragic hero, while the comic hero is left disillusioned." The heavy philosophical theme becomes easily digestible thanks to the humor and natural dialogue.
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