Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)

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:

New York | Mistress | Adultery | Murder | Brother

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:

Woody Allen felt that he had been too "nice" to the characters in the end of Hannah and Her Sisters (1986), so he wrote this film as a response to those feelings.

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 Film Geek (2005)

Soundtrack:

I'll See You Again

A wonderful film about decisions and life

After watching four of Woody Allen's movies, I am now convinced that he is one of the best directors of all time. His blend of a serious subject matter and humor is executed into perfection. Crimes and Misdemeanors is probably as serious as Allen can get. It sometimes plays like a thriller and suspense, but it also contains signature Allen humor.

Crimes and Misdemeanors is essentially about two separate stories connected only by ending the way it supposed to end in the real world. Allen implies that how these stories ended is not how they will end in a movie but how they will end in reality. Again, Allen explores the nature of human beings, analyzes relationships, and studies human decisions.

The first story involves a successful Ophthalmologist named Judah Rosenthal (Martin Landau). He has been married for decades with several children, but has had an affair with a flight attendant named Dolores Paley (Anjelica Huston). Dolores is now obsessed with Judah and plans to confront his wife and reveal his financial secrets if Judah does not leave his wife. After his brother suggested murdering Dolores, Judah tries to decide if he wants to save his life or face murder.

The other story involves struggling documentary filmmaker Clifford Stern (Woody Allen). He was forced to make a documentary about his successful brother-in-law-which he despises. He agreed to do it only for the money, and in the process, fell in love with an associate named Halley Reed (Mia Farrow). His problem is that he is married and his brother-in-law Lester (Alan Alda) is also making a pass at Halley. Halley must now decide whether she wants to be with a sincere man or a rich successful one.

Halley and Judah's decisions are also meant for the audience to analyze. What would we do if we were in their situation? Would we do the same thing they did? Can we stand having a murder in our conscience? Would we go for the wealthy man even though he may be a phony? Allen plays the audience with this questions and expertly guides them his characters' decisions.

Allen intercuts the Judah story with Judah's memories. His recollections of his times with Dolores and his childhood memories with his family. He recalls his father teaching him about God and our obligations. These memories made his decision harder and regrettable. In the other story, a professor makes some statements about life. These statements were heard again in the final montage, and this seems to be Allen's ultimate message about life, relationships, and decisions.

This movie is very similar to my favorite Allen movie Hannah and her Sisters. They both involve several storylines that is connected only by the central theme and message. Allen's excellent writing is complimented by his steady direction. Crimes and Misdemeanors is not as funny as Annie Hall or as accomplished as Manhattan, but it certainly ranks as one of Allen's best films.