Cheap Crimes and Misdemeanors (Video) (Woody Allen, Martin Landau) (Woody Allen) Price

Related Products

Customer Reviews of Crimes and Misdemeanors

Landau's character, Judah Rosenthal, afraid of ruination, calls upon his brother (Law and Order's Jerry Orbach) to make his little indiscretion "disappear". She disappears, all right - into oblivion, the victim of a hit-man Orbach's character met through his years in the restaurant business.

Allen's character, by far much lighter and more innocent, is trying to finance a documentary on an upbeat Holocaust survivor and Philosophy professor by condescending to make a television biography of his shallow, egotistical brother-in-law, a famous sit-com producer (Alan Alda).

What these two stories have in common is a deepening ethical dilemma posed by the ambiguity of moral standards in the absence of religious faith. Although raised in a traditionally religious Jewish household, Judah is not, himself, a believer - at least, until the guilt of his mistress' murder presses down upon him almost unbearably. Then he begins to fantasize that he will be caught and punished, if only because the seeing eye of God is everywhere, and He will make certain of it. Similarly, Allen's character is driven to the point of crisis not only by his failure to snag his own mistress, but by the suicide of the professor whose life seemed the very model of spiritual triumph in the face of adversity.

What emerges from the convergence of these two stories is a great envy and baleful respect for those who can have faith. Faith is a gift, as one character points out, like musical talent. It is the ability to walk in darkness, oblivious to the probable truth that there is only chaos in the Universe, and be contented in that ignorance.

The DVD lacks a director's commentary or any other nice features, but it is handsomely produced, with the work of cinematographer Sven Nykvist (long-time collaborator of Igmar Bergman) beautifully showcased. Anjelica Houston and Sam Waterston lend excellent support as Judah's mistress and a rabbi patient who is gradually losing his sight.

For those viewers who enjoy philosophical depth in films, and who eschew easy, predigested answers, this film is most certainly a must-see.

The eyes of God are on us always
Two stories run parallel to each other, destined to meet in the denouement. Judah Rosenthal (Martin Landau), a successful opthamologist, contemplates murdering his hysterical mistress (Angelica Huston). On the flipside, Clifford Stern (Woody Allen) falls for Halley Reed (Mia Farrow), the woman producing a documentary he’s directing on his loathsome brother-in-law, a successful television producer (Alan Alda). One narrative carries its inherent weight well. Landau’s torment after the deed is done is palpable and painful. The other narrative seems flighty by comparison. Titular bad guy Alda shields himself from the daggers shot from Woody’s rolling eyes. However, his only real sin is lechery.

That being said, the two most heartbreaking moments in the film -- moments that rival in visceral emotion anything I’ve seen at the movies in some time -- come from the “flighty” narrative. I wish I could tell you what they were, but that would spoil the surprise. Just know that they are probably the most dramatic moments Woody Allen has ever put on film, as either director or -- and here’s the surprising part -- dramatic actor. His work is low-key and subdued here, more so than I’ve ever seen it before.

The rest of the cast is spotty at best. Landau, who I rarely believe in his roles, comes close to completely pulling off his Judah, only he misses by a few steps. One scene, where Judah exhibits poor judgement, had me astonished in my seat with disbelief. Still, more commitment from Landau would have sold the scene better. Mia Farrow gets some snappy one-liners as well as some tragic moments, but it feels like she’s forcing the issue in both respects. Also, she has little to no chemistry with Woody (at least none that I saw on screen). The best work is done by Alan Alda. His role could have been an over-the-top parody (it nearly is), but Alda pulls the reigns back just enough. His Lester isn’t really the bad man Cliff sees; he’s just a materialistic blowhard. Nothing criminal about that. Kudos to Alda for showing restraint, while sketching a living and breathing character.

There are some truly funny moments that serve as comic relief to break up the tense drama. Woody gets most of these, natch. One memorable scene involves Cliff and Lester, in which Lester pauses from a conversation about Cliff filming his documentary. He recites into a mini-taperecorder ideas about a TV farce in which a “loser” films a documentary on a successful man, and learns something in the process. Cliff, standing right there the whole time, rolls his eyes in disbelief. On paper, it may not come across how hearty a laugh this moment gets.

The most fascinating aspect of the film was probably the discussions of morality and ethics. God enters the picture once or twice (in discussion only), and man’s deeds are raked over the coals. And even though it doesn’t provide the typical Hollywood movie answers, the answers the film does provide are realistic and true and, most importantly, tragic. While the situations portrayed may be fantastic, the reactions by the characters within them were real.

Probably the darkest of Woody’s movies, “Crimes and Misdemeanors” will most assuredly be amongst the ones remembered a hundred years in the future. It balances its comedy, drama, and tragedy sublimely, creating a document of life that’s sure to provoke and entertain.

Crime but no time
I think what Allen meant to call this film was "Felonies and Misdemeanors" since a misdemeanor is a crime and the title a little redundant. That aside I think it's his best film, hands down. He managed to pull together his comic and tragic instincts into what is an entertaining and occasionally harrowing declaration of atheism. Not a philosophy everyone agrees with but he doesn't soft-pedal it. The staging of the murder that parallels Allen's romantic misadventures with a TV producer gives Martin Landau the role of a lifetime as a well-meaning physician who profits from an evil act. Great performances all around, especially Jerry Ohrbach as Landau's hoody brother and Allan Alda as a TV impressario who divests Woody of Mia Farrow (something the director probably wishes had happened in real life).