Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)

User Rating:

8.0/10   

Director:

Woody Allen

Writer (WGA):

Woody Allen (written by)

Release Date:

13 October 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

A film about humanity.

Plot:

An opthamologist's mistress threatens to reveal their affair to his wife, while a married documentary filmmaker is infatuated by another woman.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Brother | Mistress | Adultery | Doctor

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 7 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Bill Bernstein	...	Testimonial Speaker
Martin Landau	...	Judah Rosenthal
Claire Bloom	...	Miriam Rosenthal
Stephanie Roth Haberle	...	Sharon Rosenthal (as Stephanie Roth)
Gregg Edelman	...	Chris
George J. Manos	...	Photographer (as George Manos)
Anjelica Huston	...	Dolores Paley
Woody Allen	...	Cliff Stern
Jenny Nichols	...	Jenny
Joanna Gleason	...	Wendy Stern
Alan Alda	...	Lester
Sam Waterston	...	Ben
Zina Jasper	...	Carol
Dolores Sutton	...	Judah's Secretary
Joel Fogel	...	T.V. Producer (as Joel S. Fogel)

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | Brazil:12 | Norway:10 | Norway:15 (self applied) | Argentina:13 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Spain:13 | Sweden:11 | USA:PG-13 | UK:15 | West Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

5th Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Trivia:

Lester is based on Larry Gelbart, whom both Woody Allen and Alan Alda worked with and reportedly disliked because of his despotic way. Lester's various comments such as "Comedy is tragedy plus time" and "If it bends, it's funny; if it breaks, it's not funny" were actual Gelbart quotes.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When Judah decides to have Delores killed, he only dials seven digits on the phone calling his brother, Jack. Judah lives in Connecticut and Jack lives in New York, so he would have to dial at least 10 digits to call him.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Testimonial Speaker: We're all very proud of Judah Rosenthal's philanthropic efforts. His endless hours of fund raising for the hospital, the new medical center, and now, the ophthalmology wing, which until this year had just been a dream. But it's due to Rosenthal our friend that we most appreciate. The husband, the father, the golf companion. Naturally if you have a medical problem you can call Judah...
Miriam Rosenthal: You're blushing darling.
Testimonial Speaker: ...day or night, weekends or holidays. But you can also call Judah to find out which is the best restaurant in Paris - or Athens. Or which hotel to stay at in Moscow. Or the best recording of a particular Mozart symphony...
[...]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Charmed: Crimes & Witch Demeanors (#6.19)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

Beautiful Love

Is It Woody Allen's Best Movie? I think So

Not that I'm a clairvoyant, but I doubt Woody Allen will ever make a film better than this one. Allen has done some fine films in the last 15 years, but nothing I have seen makes me think that he is capable of surpassing this 1989 production. In my humble opinion, it is not only Allen's best movie, but it is also one of the most interesting American films of the decade. We often take Allen's genius for granted, but there is no denying that this movie is incredibly complex, and emotionally rewarding. It is an ambitious project that is both bold and poetic. The film is divided into two halves; one half is a tragic-comic tale, while the other half is tense and unbearably somber. Allen stars in the humorous half, and he plays a filmmaker who is having a hard time making a documentary about his narcissist brother-in-law. The second story revolves around a wealthy optometrist (played by Martin Landau), who has to deal with an emotionally unstable mistress (Angelica Huston, in another memorable performance). I don't want to spoil any surprises, so I won't say anything else about the plot, but I truly believe this film works as a summarization of everything that is great about Allen. As usual, the Academy singled out one performance (Landau's), but I think every actor in the film is doing a great job, including Allen who never gets much attention for his abilities as an actor; he gives one of his finest performances. If you do not like this movie, Allen is not for you. Sven Nykvist's cinematography is superb, and Susan Morse's editing is simply brilliant.