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Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)

Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
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Woody Allen spent most of the 1980s and '90s veering between comedy and drama, and he rarely combined the two with greater success than in Crimes and Misdemeanors, in which he weaved together two stories, one deadly serious, one often funny, both ending in sadness. Martin Landau plays Dr. Judah Rosenthal, a prominent ophthalmologist with a successful practice, a loving family, and a reputation for generous charity work. But Rosenthal also has a secret: his mistress, Dolores (Anjelica Huston). What began as a casual fling has become uncomfortably intimate, and as he tries to break off the relationship, Dolores threatens to expose his infidelity to his wife and some unorthodox financial arrangements to his colleagues. Fearful that Dolores will make good on her threats, Judah confesses his secret to his brother Jack (Jerry Orbach), who has ties to organized crime and offers to "make the problem go away." Meanwhile, Cliff Stern (Woody Allen) is a filmmaker working on his pet project, a documentary about philosopher Prof. Louis Levy (Martin Bergmann). However, films about philosophers don't pay the rent, so Cliff's wife Wendy (Joanna Gleason) arranges for him to make a documentary for public television about her brother Lester (Alan Alda), a famous TV comedian whose vapidity is exceeded only by his arrogance. While Cliff tries to bite the bullet and finish the film, he finds himself falling in love with PBS producer Halley Reed (Mia Farrow). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Starring:
Martin Landau, Woody Allen, (more)
Director(s):
Woody Allen
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
PG13
Format(s):
DVD
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Synopsis of Crimes and Misdemeanors

Woody Allen spent most of the 1980s and '90s veering between comedy and drama, and he rarely combined the two with greater success than in Crimes and Misdemeanors, in which he weaved together two stories, one deadly serious, one often funny, both ending in sadness. Martin Landau plays Dr. Judah Rosenthal, a prominent ophthalmologist with a successful practice, a loving family, and a reputation for generous charity work. But Rosenthal also has a secret: his mistress, Dolores (Anjelica Huston). What began as a casual fling has become uncomfortably intimate, and as he tries to break off the relationship, Dolores threatens to expose his infidelity to his wife and some unorthodox financial arrangements to his colleagues. Fearful that Dolores will make good on her threats, Judah confesses his secret to his brother Jack (Jerry Orbach), who has ties to organized crime and offers to "make the problem go away." Meanwhile, Cliff Stern (Woody Allen) is a filmmaker working on his pet project, a documentary about philosopher Prof. Louis Levy (Martin Bergmann). However, films about philosophers don't pay the rent, so Cliff's wife Wendy (Joanna Gleason) arranges for him to make a documentary for public television about her brother Lester (Alan Alda), a famous TV comedian whose vapidity is exceeded only by his arrogance. While Cliff tries to bite the bullet and finish the film, he finds himself falling in love with PBS producer Halley Reed (Mia Farrow). ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Theatrical Feature Running Time:
104 mins

Complete Cast of Crimes and Misdemeanors


Director(s):
Woody Allen
Writer(s):
Woody Allen
Producer(s):
Robert Greenhut
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
PG13(Adult Situations, Questionable for Children)
Crimes and Misdemeanors Awards:
  • 1989 - National Board of Review - Best Supporting Actor
  • 1989 - New York Film Critics Circle - Best Supporting Actor
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    Member Reviews
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    Michael M.

    Not only is this one of Woody Allen's best but this is one of my favorite films of all time. You can actually watch this several times and still find something more to love.

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    Judy W.

    Not an action film, but the plot moves at a nice clip, the script and acting are superb. The movie has to do with the commiting and cover-up of a crime with a subplot about the angst of unfulfilled romance (it is a Woody Allen film after all). This is the only Woody Allen film I can truly say I've enjoyed...enough to watch it a second time.

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    Craig R.

    I've always been a fan of Woody Allen and have enjoyed his movies for 30 years and while many have left me with a cozy feeling or pained sides (from laughing), only a few have left me in awe -- Crimes & Misdemeanors tops that list. I saw this movie soon after it came out and after it was over I left the theatre dazed by what I'd seen. Brilliant work-- smart, funny, thought provoking, disturbing.

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