Wall

Barcelona and Paris are alive. Perhaps Allen's grown as a director. Perhaps his actors provide the glamour, romance, passion. This 1989 script (aside from a didactic voiceover) is perfect (and profound). But the direction is paint-by-numbers. Imagine restless Moodyson or probing Cassavetes behind the camera. Instead of watching with appreciative detachment we'd be plunged inside, torn to pieces.

Ted Burke

29May11

But it is C and M that is the more potent film; the characters are complex and unlikeable and their respective fates embodies as Clint Eastwood's slogan at the end of Unforgiven ; "Deserves got nothing to do with it".

Ted Burke

29May11

Crimes and Misdemeanors is a seriously underrated Woody Allen film, and one of his most even handed. With the seamy elements of unbridled careerism, adultry, murder, and dead-end spiritualism laced through it's deftly constructed narrative, it is a precursor of Allen's 2005 critical success Matchpoint, a good variation on the film maker's themes.

Dave

24May11

Remains my favorite Woody Allen film. The combination of laugh-out-loud funny scenes with sequences of great drama and tension is an interesting combination. Works on both levels.

barbudean and Adam like this

Schnagelkott

24Apr11

The best Woody Allen, provided you happen to be really in the mood for some solemn theatricals. The closing comment by the philosopher is annoyingly self-contradictory though.

Tom Barnard

16Apr11

My first viewing left me feeling rather indifferent. A recent second viewing greatly enchanted this little masterpiece - a brilliant study of morals and human relationships. One of Woody Allen's best films.

Nathan Demers

19Mar11

nd

Nicolas

16Jan11

Just found my new favorite Woody film.

Debraj Biswas

31Jul10

As it seems perhaps it may be Allen's most serious and mature movie unlike his previous movies. what mostly effects me is in this film he kind of criticizes himself and his previous works. He proves that he deliberately makes movies which are comedy in genre but he is not incapable to make more serious movies or deal with more mature thoughts. In addition is a story of a adulterous man and his escape from it.

Silenzio

27Jun10

I agree that this is possibily Allens most mature film or at least his best "serious" film. He would later return to similar territory with Match Point and the predictable Cassandras Dream but they pale in comparison to this one. Landau is fantastic in this film.

Alexis

9Jun10

I just watched this the other day for the first time and I can't stop thinking about it. It was so sad and horrible...I loved it. The flashback scenes between Martin Landau and Anjelica Huston were so tender and sweet, it made me believe in love so much that when their love was destroyed I deemed Woody Allen to be the cruelist human being on earth for writing such a devious movie.