Crimes and Misdemeanors

Amazon.com

Along with Deconstructing Harry which would follow seven years later, this is Woody Allen's most somber comedy-drama, as well as his most ambitious film of the 1980s. Allen weaves together two central stories about very different groups of Manhattanites, linking them through a mutual friend, a rabbi (Sam Waterston) who's going blind. This image is key to the sometimes ponderous, often clever musings on faith, morals, and vision (or lack thereof) that obsess his deeply troubled and unhappy characters. At its center, the film explores people who, through lack of religious conviction or arrogance, rationalize their awful, selfish acts by presuming that God couldn't possibly be watching.

The central story--a neo-noir of sorts--follows a fortuitous ophthalmologist (Martin Landau, all sweat and grimaces) who faces the prospect of his obsessed mistress (Anjelica Huston) ruining his life by telling his family of their affair. Desperate, the doctor hires his slimy criminal brother (Jerry Orbach) to eliminate the situation, and then suffers overwhelming regret afterwards. The flip tale is more typical Allen. Funnier and lighter, it focuses on an impossible romance between Allen's character and Halley Reed, a film producer played by Mia Farrow. Between Allen and his Hollywood fantasy stands his brother-in-law (Alan Alda, perfectly cast as an obnoxious, successful sitcom producer), who also desires Halley. Allen is Landau's opposite: an honest, struggling documentarian who cares nothing about fortune, suffers in a loveless marriage, and is surrounded by triumphant phonies. The nice-guys-finish-last moral may be as contrived as it is devastating. Yet, when Landau and Allen finally share a final scene during a wedding, their faces, subtle body movements, and contrasting fortunes somehow suggest that indeed God may be blind, and if not, the deity has a very sick sense of humor. --Dave McCoy

Description

"Poignant, penetrating [and] scathingly hilarious" (Long Beach Press Telegram), Crimes and Misdemeanors is a deftly rendered tale about the complexity of human choices and the moral microcosms they represent. Showcasing Allen's brilliant grasp of the link between the funny and the fatal, his 19th movie is "one of the watershed films of his career" (Los Angeles Times). Cliff Stern (Woody Allen) is an idealistic filmmaker until he's offered a lucrative job shooting aflattering profile of a pompous TV producer (Alan Alda). Judah Rosenthal (Martin Landau) is the pillar of his community until he learns that his ex-mistress (Anjelica Huston) plans to expose his financial and extramarital misdeeds. As Cliff chooses between integrity and selling out, and Judah decides between the counsel of his rabbi (Sam Waterston) and the murderous advice of his mobster brother (Jerry Orbach), each man must examine his own morality, and make an irrevocable decisionthat willchange everyone's lives forever.

Customer Reviews:

"We define ourselves by the choices we have made...".......2007-08-03

Love him or hate him, it's very hard to deny the fact that Woody Allen is extremely talented when it comes to making films and comedy. Yes, the real Woody Allen has issues and problems, but I am able to enjoy Woody Allen as a brilliant filmmaker with a very impressive body of work. "Crimes and Misdemeanors" was a complete surprise for me. It's a darker and more serious picture from Allen, but there's still enough comedy that feels real and not forced.

The film focuses on two main characters. The first is a successful ophthalmologist, Judah, who has a loving wife and family. He seems to have it all, but his prosperous and rich life is threatened when his mistress is fed up with not being able to have all of Judah to herself and wants to come clean to his wife. Judah has no idea what to do, and since he can't buy her off or talk her out of it, he goes to his criminal brother for advice. When he suggests that she can be "gotten rid of," Judah is faced with a serious choice to make and must consider the consequences. The second part of the story involves a very idealistic and artsy filmmaker, Cliff. In order to make the philosophical and human inspirited documentary he has planned, he has to stoop down to making a film centered around a goofy sitcom producer who he despises, just so Cliff can finance the project.

These two stories are very different from each other, and at first you start to wonder what the significance is. It is true that Judah's story is much more captivating, but we also need the Cliff story as this is a movie that is about tough choices, and it examines if somebody can live with the decisions they make, no matter how small or major they may be. I will also say this much; this is a film that requires multiple viewings, because this film will most likely take you by surprise. I would call this more of a drama than a comedy, but there are a lot of comedic touches to it as well. The writing and directing from Allen is top notch, and this could be one of his most complex films. The cast is also terrific with a lot of big names, and none of them disappoint.

What I really enjoy about this movie is that all of the characters are fully fleshed out. Nobody seems flat and no matter how flawed somebody may appear, you can still see traces, if not more, of humanity within them somehow. That to me makes the movie even more chilling and dark at times. These aren't goofy cartoon characters where you know from the start who's good and who's rotten to the core. These people come off as being real, and that's a talent Allen has when it comes to making films that aren't so slapstick, and this is an important key that makes "Crimes and Misdemeanors" work in the end. The characters have real problems and obstacles, and they have to decide in the end, when the smoke is clear, if they can live with themselves with the choices they have made. -Michael Crane

very true to human life.......2007-07-17

A serious film and a great film. Depicts what all to often happens to carying people when the emotions are allowed to take over. Avoiding these pitfalls enables good people to stay good people.

Crimes and Misdemeanors.......2007-07-06

This funny, intelligent drama trails two pairs of Manhattan men who couldn't be more different: Judah is an emblem of respectability and brother Jack's a wise-guy realist, while Cliff and Lester represent the divergent aims of art and commercialism, respectively. Alternating between the moral melodrama of the first tale, and the witty romantic comedy of the second, Allen launches his finest work of the '80s, cleverly considering questions of ethics and integrity with levity and nebbishy introspection. Crisply directed and finely acted (Alda, Landau, and Huston are especially good), you'll want to do some time with "Crimes."

a long long time ago, woody allen made good movies.......2007-05-12

woody allens best film since the 70s (and hey this one was 18 years ago!) features great acting turns by martin landau, sam waterston, alan alda, angelica huston, jerry orbach, joanna gleason, claire bloom, and even the usually awful mia farrow (who it might be noted hasnt been cast by a real director she want sleepoing with in 30+ years). his nod to dostoevski (however you want to spell that guys name) is clear in both the title and theme, and for once (maybe its because he only plays a minor role) one of his his post-"manhattan" manhattan movies comes off as real instead of stilted.

My favorite Woody Allen film.......2007-03-15

Simply put, a terrific movie and Allen's masterpiece. At once funny, troubling, romantic, hopeful, sad... Allen manages to both sypathize with and damn the characters in both stories. Interesting plot, truly great acting, and a screenplay that makes you think about the common themes of Allen's work (death, humor, love, identity, etc.) in new ways.

I'm writing this after years of watching and re-watching because I just saw Match Point, which horribly cribs this movie's characters and plot and marries them with bad acting and a terrible screenplay. Sadly, Match Point was heralded as Allen's best film in years. Wha?

The Woody Allen Collection, Set 2 (Shadows and Fog / September / Crimes and Misdemeanors / Another Woman / Alice)

Average customer rating:

The Genius Emerges
THE WOODY ALLEN COLLECTION, SET 2
PRODUCT DETAILS: WHAT PRODUCT DETAILS?
Great selection of movies!
What can I say?

The Woody Allen Collection, Set 2 (Shadows and Fog / September / Crimes and Misdemeanors / Another Woman / Alice)
Starring: Woody Allen
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( W ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Comedy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00005AUJE
Release Date: 2001-06-05

Customer Reviews:

The Genius Emerges.......2007-09-16

We have two masterpieces here. The first is "Crimes and Misdemeanors." The second is "Alice." The others are vintage Allen and deserve to be seen, for the first or tenth time. "Crimes" is a brilliant piece, gorgeously well-acted and directed. The cast is superb, probably the best ensemble performance since Cassavetes' films with Gena Rowlands and co. Martin Landau gives one of the most startling performances of the decade, a performance which must have helped give this remarkable talent a second life. But in the end, it is the writing and direction that make this such a deep, moving film. "Alice" has, of course, the incomparable Mia Farrow, who emerges here and in other Allen films as one of the most exciting actresses of our time. They made a great couple. She introduced him to the Upper-East side, grand WASP lifestyle that became his subject matter for the next twenty years. She was his muse. He has never really recovered as a film director from her loss.

THE WOODY ALLEN COLLECTION, SET 2.......2005-07-27

The second Woody dvd collection includes five films:
"Alice"
"Another Woman"
"Crimes And Misdemeanors"
"September"
"Shadows And Fog"

PRODUCT DETAILS: WHAT PRODUCT DETAILS?.......2004-05-15

How about including the names of the movies contained in this boxed set in your so-called "product details" ?

We all know that Woody Allan is virtually always "vaux le voyage", but the merest hint of the actual content would be useful here.

Bless you and may you have many children.

Great selection of movies!.......2002-06-15

This box is a good collection of some of the most beautifull films of W. Allen. This features some of the best directions of melodramatic films of W. Allen.

If you are a fan of Woody A. buy it now. If you are one of those very few who never saw a film of Woody Allen, buy one of the films not on this box. You will be back later to buy the box. Trust me.

What can I say?.......2002-03-02

The whole idea behind a Box Set, is to attract fans. So if you're not a Woody Allen sucker, you'll probably never come to this point of the navigation, specially reading reviews. The fact is, this Box Set comes with more "noire" films from Mr. Allen, not the best comedy, but some very good drama though. The Sets 1 and 3 are better. But what can I say? The worst Woody Allen movie deserves 4 stars and a half, but I could't figure out how to give them. So I gave it a five. You're his fan too, you understand me.

Average customer rating:

"We define ourselves by the choices we have made..."
very true to human life
Crimes and Misdemeanors
a long long time ago, woody allen made good movies
My favorite Woody Allen film

Crimes and Misdemeanors
Starring: Caroline Aaron , Alan Alda , Martin S. Bergmann , Bill Bernstein , and Claire Bloom
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: 6305075328
Release Date: 1997-11-05

Amazon.com

Some critics and filmgoers have hailed this 1989 comedy-drama as Woody Allen's best film, and while that's certainly open for debate, a good case can be made that it's the most ambitious and morally complex of Allen's films. It's the kind of movie that provokes heated philosophical debate about the role of God in our lives, the nature of guilt, and the circumstances that would allow a seemingly good, law-abiding family man and successful professional (Martin Landau) to commit a murder with no risk of being caught. Could you live with yourself under those conditions? Allen explores this complicated issue in the context of an extramarital affair that Landau's mistress (Anjelica Huston) threatens to expose, while developing a second story about a documentary filmmaker (Allen) who reluctantly makes a film about his brother-in-law (Alan Alda), a TV sitcom producer whose vanity is seemingly unlimited. From serious crimes to misdemeanors of personal behavior, Allen ties these stories together to create a provocative and unsettling study of divergent moralities and the price we're willing to pay to preserve our personal comfort and happiness. It's a sobering film, but a fascinating and funny one as well, unfolding like a thriller in which the question is not whodunit but rather, would you do it if you knew you could get away with it? --Jeff Shannon

Description

American auteur Woody Allen explores themes of good and evil in this masterful modern-day morality play. When ophthamologist Judah Rosenthal (Oscar-nominated Martin Landau) is threatened with ruin by his mistress if he doesn't marry her, he considers the ultimate solution to his problem: murder. Meanwhile, documentary filmmaker Clifford Stern is faced with an equally heinous moral dilemma: selling out. Allen compares the choices both men make, using a double storyline to brilliantly pair sharp comedy with harrowing drama.

Customer Reviews:

"We define ourselves by the choices we have made...".......2007-08-03

very true to human life.......2007-07-17

A serious film and a great film. Depicts what all to often happens to carying people when the emotions are allowed to take over. Avoiding these pitfalls enables good people to stay good people.

Crimes and Misdemeanors.......2007-07-06

a long long time ago, woody allen made good movies.......2007-05-12

My favorite Woody Allen film.......2007-03-15

Average customer rating:

"We define ourselves by the choices we have made..."
very true to human life
Crimes and Misdemeanors
a long long time ago, woody allen made good movies
My favorite Woody Allen film

Crimes and Misdemeanors [Region 2]

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00005KIT3

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

"We define ourselves by the choices we have made...".......2007-08-03

very true to human life.......2007-07-17

A serious film and a great film. Depicts what all to often happens to carying people when the emotions are allowed to take over. Avoiding these pitfalls enables good people to stay good people.

Crimes and Misdemeanors.......2007-07-06

a long long time ago, woody allen made good movies.......2007-05-12

My favorite Woody Allen film.......2007-03-15

DVD:

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