ThiefHott
Too much of everything
Acensbart
Excellent but underrated film
Voxitype
Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.
classicsoncall
Of all the movie quotes one might attribute to writer and director Woody Allen, the one spoken above by his character Cliff Stern in this picture might epitomize his real life persona best. I think it's just so revelatory about the man himself. The theme carries through in this picture quite obviously, and in it's own way, applies to both of the principal characters, Stern and opthamologist Judah Rosenthal (Martin Landau). A moral quandary is addressed by Judah after he submissively accepts his brother Jack's (Jerry Orbach) solution to an infidelity threatening to ruin his life. Questions of life and death, guilt and innocence, and the ongoing conflict of human relationships all play a part in the story, and Allen has shown himself to be a past master of dealing with all of it. The one bit of certainty that emanates form the picture is the fact that it could not have been made or released during film's Production Code era from the Thirties through the Sixties, as Landau's character gets away with murder and rationalizes that he'll feel less guilty over time about it. As for the supporting cast, Alan Alda's Lester is insufferable while I don't think I've ever seen Mia Farrow look better. "Crimes and Misdemeanors" bears watching, and after having done so, watch it again. It's just that good.
Andres-Camara
I think it's boring, it has no rhythm, it's not interesting. I have seen his film many times. But suddenly it takes us on a new path that is not the case and everything to finish as always. The film is repeated and repeated, we change course, start another movie and end in cross lives.Spoiler: Personally, I do not like anything Woody Allen, sorry, I apologize to everyone in the movies and this movie is not going to be different. I've never seen anything in his movies. Well yes, it makes dialogues better than anyone. I think he was born knowing to do dialogues, but the rest, neither know how to do nor care. I already say the director of photography of the film, Sven Nykvist, in an interview, does not spend time to the camera or the photo and so it comes out. One of his favorite directors is Ingmar Bergman but at least this one if he dedicated time to these sections.At least as happens in real life, the arrogant takes the girl. It's the only thing that has seemed logical and real in the movie. Cynicism on all sides, but selling it as a logical thing.I think that if he had dedicated himself to writing and someone else would have shot the movies he would have won a lot. All you have of genius of the paper, it has of not knowing to direct.
suite92
The Three Acts:The initial tableaux: Ophthalmologist Judah is successful and respected. However, he's been having an affair with Dolores. Dolores wants to bring up the matter with Judah's wife Miriam, and clear the air. Judah would rather not.Cliff is a maker of small films who has little success. His wife Wendy speaks to her brother Lester, who is very successful in Hollywood. She convinces Lester to get Cliff a job filming a biography on Lester. Cliff takes the job in order to fund his own projects.Delineation of conflicts: Lester does not really want Cliff to direct his biography, but he does it as a favor to Wendy. Cliff does not want to do the piece, since he has no respect for Lester's pomposity. Cliff tries to connect with Halley, Lester's producer, in order to get additional funding for his documentary on Professor Levy. Filming Lester being Lester is a grand pain for Cliff.Judah wants to break up with Dolores, but Dolores has other ideas, which include seriously fouling up his personal and professional life. Jack suggests a solution to Judah's problem, but Judah has qualms. Ben, Judah's rabbi and patient, counsels him to take the higher road: let the meeting happen, let disclosure happen, keep a clear conscience. Dolores escalates, so what does Judah do?Resolution: Judah needs to solve his moral, financial, and personal dilemmas. Cliff needs to find his own success, and perhaps reignite his married life.
morrison-dylan-fan
After having a fabulous watching writer/director/lead actor Woody Allen's Manhattan Murder Mystery for a poll being held on IMDb's Classic Film Board for the best titles of 1993,I decided that for the boards 1989 poll,that I would take a look at Allen's (solo) mystery from that year.The plot:Note:due to the plot mainly being in 2 different threads,I've decided to separate each of the plots out.Plot one:Spending years gathering up what little money he can in order to complete filming on his dream Avant-Garde documentary, underground movie director Cliff Stern finds himself stuck in a dead end,thanks to using up every last penny on filming,and also finding that there is no one interested in distributing his epic.Talking to his wife Wendy,Stern finds out that a multi millionaire film producing brother of hers called Lester is desperate for some one to make a documentary on him.Initially desperate to stay away from the project,Cliff eventually agrees to directing the feature,in the hope that he will get the final funds needed to complete his film.As he starts shooting Lester's ego- driven project,Stern finds himself becoming closer to a crew member on the movie called Halley Reed,which leads to Cliff wondering if he is about to get more out of this doc then he ever could have expected.Plot 2:Returning from a huge celebration to mark his success in the field of ophthalmology,Judah Rosenthal discovers a letter which has been sent by his mistress of 2 years Dolores Paley, to his wife Miriam.Hiding the letter,Judah rushes over to pay Miriam a visit,who tells Rosenthal that she sent the letter due to him having promised for over a year that he would finish his marriage to Miriam.After telling Dolores that he is unable to divorce from Miriam due to knowing how much damage it would do towards her,Judah is horrified to witness Paley going on a downward spiral,with Dolores taking increasingly desperate measures to reveal the affair to Miriam.Deciding that there is no chance of reasoning by used as a route to keep Dolores quiet,Rosenthal decides that the only choice he has left is to hire a hit-man who will keep his misdemeanor affair with Paley hidden from view.View on the film:Whilst the screenplay does feature a number of slick'n catchy one liners, (with Lester's reply to his wife over them not sleeping with each other that 'It'll be a year on April 20th.I remember the date exactly,cos it was Hitler's birthday',being a particular highlight) Allen wraps each of the jokes in spikes which help to give the movie a terrifically gloomy,Film Noir-tinged mood.Limiting the crossing over of both plot lines to the final scene,Allen superbly places the theme of self-enforced solitude at the centre of the movie,with Cliff Stern being afraid to push the barriers aside which has led to he and his wife becoming isolated with each other.Along with Stern's marriage troubles,Allen also shows Judah being unable to see how much of an outcast he is making himself by entering an affair from which Judah ends up discovering that he has no 'good' exit left for him to take.Matching the darkly comedic nature of the screenplay,Allen brilliantly uses long,isolated tracking shots to perfectly display how detached Stern and Judah have become from the other character's in the film. Complimenting the isolated tracking shots,Allen gives the outside scenes a stylish chilly appearance,which shows the cold routes that Judah and Stern find themselves travelling upon.Despite recent events making it appear that the only time she will work with him again will be when hell freezes over,Mia Farrow gives a charmingly kooky performance as Halley Reed,with Farrow showing Reed to have a natural off-beat warmth that Stern finds irresistible.Keeping away from any sense of warm,Anjelica Huston gives a delightfully chaotic performance as Dolores Paley thanks to Huston showing Paley to be unwilling to run away from the fire that is burning her relationship with Judah to the ground.Spending most of the title fighting to get his dream project made,Woody Allen gives an excellent performance as Cliff Stern,with Allen showing Stern to have an uncompromising one track mind,which leads to Stern completely ignoring the commercial opportunities that could help his Avant-Garde project at last get off the ground.Giving the title a bleak Film Noir heart,Martin Landau delivers a tremendous performance as Judah Rosenthal,with Landau showing horror on Judah's face,as he realize to his horror that the only way he can get off his darken path is to commit some deadly crimes and misdemeanors.
