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Small Time Crooks

  • 20002000
  • PGPG
  • 1h 34m
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
39K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Small Time Crooks (2000)
Trailer
Play trailer0:32
1 Video
34 Photos
  • Comedy
  • Crime
A loser of a crook and his wife strike it rich when a botched bank job's cover business becomes a spectacular success.A loser of a crook and his wife strike it rich when a botched bank job's cover business becomes a spectacular success.A loser of a crook and his wife strike it rich when a botched bank job's cover business becomes a spectacular success.
IMDb RATING
6.6/10
39K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Woody Allen
  • Writer
    • Woody Allen
  • Stars
    • Woody Allen
    • Tracey Ullman
    • Hugh Grant
Top credits
  • Director
    • Woody Allen
  • Writer
    • Woody Allen
  • Stars
    • Woody Allen
    • Tracey Ullman
    • Hugh Grant
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 199User reviews
    • 90Critic reviews
    • 69Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 4 nominations

    Videos1

    Small Time Crooks
    Trailer 0:32
    Small Time Crooks

    Photos34

    Press Release Photo from Premiere
    Small Time Crooks (2000)
    Small Time Crooks (2000)
    Small Time Crooks (2000)
    Small Time Crooks (2000)
    Small Time Crooks (2000)
    Woody Allen, Hugh Grant, and Tracey Ullman in Small Time Crooks (2000)
    Small Time Crooks (2000)
    Small Time Crooks (2000)
    Woody Allen, Hugh Grant, and Tracey Ullman in Small Time Crooks (2000)
    Tracey Ullman and Brian Markinson in Small Time Crooks (2000)
    Michael Rapaport and Tony Darrow in Small Time Crooks (2000)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Woody Allen
    Woody Allen
    • Rayas Ray
    Tracey Ullman
    Tracey Ullman
    • Frenchyas Frenchy
    Hugh Grant
    Hugh Grant
    • Davidas David
    Carolyn Saxon
    • Candy Salespersonas Candy Salesperson
    Michael Rapaport
    Michael Rapaport
    • Dennyas Denny
    Tony Darrow
    Tony Darrow
    • Tommyas Tommy
    Sam Josepher
    • Real Estate Agentas Real Estate Agent
    Jon Lovitz
    Jon Lovitz
    • Bennyas Benny
    Lawrence Howard Levy
    • Dynamite Dealeras Dynamite Dealer
    • (as Lawrence Levy)
    Diane Bradley
    • Cookie Store Customeras Cookie Store Customer
    Crystal Field
    Crystal Field
    • Cookie Store Customeras Cookie Store Customer
    Cindy Carver
    • Cookie Store Customeras Cookie Store Customer
    Ray Garvey
    • Cookie Store Customeras Cookie Store Customer
    Bill Gerber
    • Cookie Store Customeras Cookie Store Customer
    Olivia Hayman
    • Cookie Store Customeras Cookie Store Customer
    Laurine Towler
    Laurine Towler
    • Cookie Store Customeras Cookie Store Customer
    Fanda Nikic
    • Cookie Store Customeras Cookie Store Customer
    Brian Markinson
    Brian Markinson
    • Copas Cop
    • Director
      • Woody Allen
    • Writer
      • Woody Allen
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Woody Allen claims he cast Tracey Ullman because she's one of the few comedians that makes him laugh.
    • Goofs
      When Denny, Ray, Tommy and Benny first begin digging the tunnel, while discussing who can use the drill, Denny appears to call Ray (played by Woody Allen) Woody. However, after Ray has just said to Denny "Whaddya mean?", Denny starts to repeat Ray's question, saying "Whaddy... I don't know how to work a drill like that."
    • Quotes

      Ray: Remember my nickname when we were in the joint?

      Benny: The Brain?

      Ray: The Brain. That's what the guys used to call me, right?

      Benny: But, Ray! That was sarcastic!

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Dinosaur/Road Trip/Small Time Crooks/Shanghai Noon (2000)
    • Soundtracks
      With Plenty of Money and You
      Music by Harry Warren

      Lyrics by Al Dubin

      Performed by Hal Kemp

      Courtesy of Columbia Records by arrangement with Sony Music Licensing

    User reviews199

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Smart and funny with a sense of style, pure Woody Allen. *** out of ****.
    SMALL TIME CROOKS / (2000) ***

    Woody Allen's artistic sense of humor is the perfect style of wit for the timid new comedy "Small Time Crooks." Allen wrote and directed the film, which is pure Allen. This amusing filmmaker brings a focused sensation of clumsiness and silliness to the various ensemble of characters; this movie is classy, sharp, and funny.

    Woody Allen stars as an ex-con named Ray Winkler, currently employed as a local dishwasher. He is the kind of person who comes up with maniac ideas he explains as beneficial, but they end up causing more grief than gratitude. His mangy wife Frenchy (Tracey Ullman) is sick of her loser lifestyle, so when Ray proposes to burglarize a nearby bank with his old buddies, including Denny (Michael Rapaport), Tommy (Tony Darrow), and Benny (Jon Lovitz), she reluctantly agrees.

    Ray comes up with a scheme that consists of renting a storefront next to the bank in order to tunnel a passage way into their destination. To avoid suspicion, Frenchy and her cousin May (Elaine May) open a bakery offering cookies as the four criminals screw everything up in the basement. The cookie sales unexpectedly become a massive achievement, leading to the characters opening up a corporation that makes them rich.

    The film's setup introduces the main characters with intelligent humor and riffraff detail. We learn they are unintelligent, desperate, and deprived nobodies living in unmistakable poverty without purpose or hope of a decent future. Also decently developed is the story, with a clear, stable first act and early laughs to capture the audience's attention from the start. This is the kind of movie that relies on situations to pull its characters through the story, and Allen gives the script fresh twists, active subplots, and creativity.

    "Small Time Crooks" is a character movie; a study of well-acted personas given funny edge and dimension. The characters are dazzlingly portrayed by some of the most clever names in Hollywood. Woody Allen rehearses his basic charismatic personality that we all know and love, and brackets himself between witty dialogue and well-cast supporting actors. Tracey Ullman is perfect in a role seemingly prepared towards her performance and Hugh Grant's false charming tenderness creates a despicable image in which the audience opposes but enjoys.

    The movie's story clearly exhibits the life of Ray and Frenchy, which is probably the smartest level in which it succeeds. We see gradual changes in the two as the story uses side characters as benchmarks that help to propel the plot along. There is minute tension involved with Ray and his spouse, however, although the Hugh Grant character provides a little romantic competition. If I had to change something in this movie, I would increase the level of the story's stakes and change the horridly annoying soundtrack.

    Too much of this movie relies on dialogue to pull itself through story slouches; at times the plot seems to drift and the character end up explaining developments and advancements. "Small Time Crooks" does not suffer to immensely in result of this material because Woody Allen often supports his dialogue with visual story and amusing conversations that look as if especially written for each character in each scene.

    "Small Time Crooks" furnishes seeking audiences with effective comedy. So often we desire for comic adventures only to find contrived and recycled humor in stale stories. This film succeeds in perspiring light-hearted humor with a surprising human dimensional touch. "Small Time Crooks" will not disappoint fans of Woody Allen's gawky sense of humor.
    helpful•21
    9
    • Movie-12
    • Jun 17, 2000

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 19, 2000 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Woody Allen Spring Project 1999
    • Filming locations
      • Doyers Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
    • Production companies
      • Dreamworks Pictures
      • Sweetland Films
      • Magnolia Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $25,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $17,266,359
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $3,880,723
      • May 21, 2000
    • Gross worldwide
      • $29,934,477
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 34 minutes
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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