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IMDbPro

Crimes and Misdemeanors

  • 19891989
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 1h 44m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
58K
YOUR RATING
Woody Allen and Martin Landau in Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
Theatrical Trailer from Orion Pictures
Play trailer1:36
1 Video
99+ Photos
  • Comedy
  • Drama
An ophthalmologist's mistress threatens to reveal their affair to his wife while a married documentary filmmaker is infatuated with another woman.An ophthalmologist's mistress threatens to reveal their affair to his wife while a married documentary filmmaker is infatuated with another woman.An ophthalmologist's mistress threatens to reveal their affair to his wife while a married documentary filmmaker is infatuated with another woman.
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
58K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Woody Allen
  • Writer
    • Woody Allen
  • Stars
    • Martin Landau
    • Woody Allen
    • Bill Bernstein
Top credits
  • Director
    • Woody Allen
  • Writer
    • Woody Allen
  • Stars
    • Martin Landau
    • Woody Allen
    • Bill Bernstein
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 192User reviews
    • 100Critic reviews
    • 77Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 3 Oscars
      • 16 wins & 26 nominations total

    Videos1

    Crimes And Misdemeanors
    Trailer 1:36
    Crimes And Misdemeanors

    Photos129

    Martin Landau in Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
    Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
    Woody Allen and Martin Landau in Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
    Woody Allen and Martin Landau in Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
    Woody Allen and Martin Landau in Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
    Woody Allen and Martin Landau in Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
    Woody Allen in Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
    Anjelica Huston and Martin Landau in Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
    Woody Allen and Joanna Gleason in Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
    Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
    Mia Farrow in Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
    Woody Allen in Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Martin Landau
    Martin Landau
    • Judah Rosenthalas Judah Rosenthal
    Woody Allen
    Woody Allen
    • Cliff Sternas Cliff Stern
    Bill Bernstein
    • Testimonial Speakeras Testimonial Speaker
    Claire Bloom
    Claire Bloom
    • Miriam Rosenthalas Miriam Rosenthal
    Stephanie Roth Haberle
    Stephanie Roth Haberle
    • Sharon Rosenthalas Sharon Rosenthal
    • (as Stephanie Roth)
    Gregg Edelman
    Gregg Edelman
    • Chrisas Chris
    George J. Manos
    • Photographeras Photographer
    • (as George Manos)
    Anjelica Huston
    Anjelica Huston
    • Dolores Paleyas Dolores Paley
    Jenny Nichols
    • Jennyas Jenny
    Joanna Gleason
    Joanna Gleason
    • Wendy Sternas Wendy Stern
    Alan Alda
    Alan Alda
    • Lesteras Lester
    Sam Waterston
    Sam Waterston
    • Benas Ben
    Zina Jasper
    • Carolas Carol
    Dolores Sutton
    Dolores Sutton
    • Judah's Secretaryas Judah's Secretary
    Joel Fogel
    • T.V. Produceras T.V. Producer
    • (as Joel S. Fogel)
    Donna Castellano
    • T.V. Produceras T.V. Producer
    Thomas Crowe
    • T.V. Produceras T.V. Producer
    • (as Thomas P. Crow)
    Mia Farrow
    Mia Farrow
    • Halley Reedas Halley Reed
    • Director
      • Woody Allen
    • Writer
      • Woody Allen
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Lester is based on Larry Gelbart, whom both Woody Allen and Alan Alda worked with and reportedly disliked because of his despotic ways. Lester's various comments such as "Comedy is tragedy plus time" and "If it bends, it's funny; if it breaks, it isn't" were actual Gelbart quotes. In spite of this reputed dislike for Gelbart, Allen called him "the best comedy writer that I ever knew and one of the best guys" in a statement shortly following Gelbart's death, whilst Alda said in the Los Angeles Times obituary, "Larry's genius for writing changed my life because I got to speak his lines - lines that were so good they'll be with us for a long, long time; but his other genius - his immense talent for being good company - is a light that's gone out and we're all sitting here in the dark".
    • Goofs
      (at 1:31:03) While they are celebrating at the wedding party the theme "Crazy Rhythm" is been played by the jazz orchestra, a muted trumpet can be heard but the trumpet player isn't using one.
    • Quotes

      [last lines]

      Professor Levy: [voiceover] We are all faced throughout our lives with agonizing decisions. Moral choices. Some are on a grand scale. Most of these choices are on lesser points. But! We define ourselves by the choices we have made. We are in fact the sum total of our choices. Events unfold so unpredictably, so unfairly, human happiness does not seem to have been included, in the design of creation. It is only we, with our capacity to love, that give meaning to the indifferent universe. And yet, most human beings seem to have the ability to keep trying, and even to find joy from simple things like their family, their work, and from the hope that future generations might understand more.

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: The Fabulous Baker Boys/Breaking In/Crimes and Misdemeanors/Look Who's Talking (1989)
    • Soundtracks
      Rosalie
      (1937)

      Written by Cole Porter

      Performed by the Jazz Band

    User reviews192

    Review
    Top review
    Masterpiece
    Most would say "Annie Hall", some would say "Manhattan", those who prefer Allen's early career might even mention "Sleeper". Few would call "Crimes and Misdemeanors" Woody Allen's best film as writer/director, but the more I watch it, the more I realize that it's not only my favorite, but in many ways the film Allen was working towards for the entirety of his career as a writer prior to this.

    In "Crimes and Misdemeanors" Allen revisits a recurring theme in many of his films, adultery. It would be a simplistic and narrow-minded view of this film to say that it was simply about adultery because it is really far more complex than that, and essentially a film about all varieties of human nature and relationships, and one could even argue- the relationship between reality and film as explored through the lens of genre- romantic comedy, Film-Noir, and documentary, and what parts of this film are- satire.

    "Crimes and Misdemeanors" is one of Allen's best scripts. Any screenplay attempting to accomplish as much as this one does could easily fall apart, and Allen has had less convincing attempts than this one with similar ambitions, but everything works beautifully here. This film practically defines the 'tragicomedy' sub-genre, with neither overpowering the other and much of the humor is dark humor originating in tragedy, something that is acknowledged by Allen through the character of Lester (played to perfection by Alan Alda), who comments that comedy is nothing more than "tragedy plus time". He also mentions that comedy has to have an ending, and that's one of the best things about this movie- Allen allows dramatic scenes to succeed at being dramatic and emotional, then throws a hilarious punchline at you, which has an effect that is both entertaining and somewhat unsettling. This is an expertly-written movie.

    "Crimes and Misdemeanors" is the culmination of a decade of consistently brilliant, evocative, original, and fascinating films from Woody Allen, whose 80's output I would personally consider to be his best. His 70's work is far more popular, but his 80's work contains some of the most unique and memorable films ever made: "Stardust Memories", "Zelig", "The Purple Rose of Cairo", and "Hannah and Her Sisters", as well as numerous overlooked and generally forgotten films that can only be called excellent, such as: "A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy", "Broadway Danny Rose", "Radio Days", "September", and "Another Woman". On top of all these memorable films is "Crimes and Misdemeanors", which is simply my favorite Woody Allen film and almost certainly his best and most focused effort.

    10/10
    helpful•45
    15
    • ametaphysicalshark
    • Apr 29, 2008

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 3, 1989 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Hebrew
    • Also known as
      • Brothers
    • Filming locations
      • Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
    • Production company
      • Jack Rollins & Charles H. Joffe Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $19,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $18,254,702
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $911,385
      • Oct 15, 1989
    • Gross worldwide
      • $18,254,702
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 44 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

    Related news

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