Woody Allen, Martin Landau, Anjelica Huston

Contemporary drama comedy set in New York revolving around the guilt people suffer over moral decisions they must make during the course of their lives.

Flixster Users

90% liked it

17,565 ratings

Critics

92% liked it

37 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 44 min.

Directed by: Woody Allen

Release Date: October 13, 1989

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DVD Release Date: June 5, 2001

Stats: 982 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (982)


  • May 19, 2009
    Witty, funny, and yet profound with a social commentary on choices, morality, and guilt. Gotta love Allen (as his neurotic best) and Sam Waterston as the blind rabbi is priceless...
  • July 6, 2008
    not underrated, but mostly underseen. Fantastically dark and openly inquisitive Allen drama. Match Point lovers, be prepared to set the bar a bit higher for Woody Allen dramas.

    "So Fucked Up" highlight: whole plot
  • June 10, 2008
    Judah Rosenthal: I remember my father telling me, "The eyes of God are on us always." The eyes of God. What a phrase to a young boy. What were God's eyes like? Unimaginably penetrating, intense eyes, I assumed. And I wonder if it was just a coincidence I made my specialty ophthal...( read more)mology.

    The more I think about it, the more I believe this to be my favorite Woody Allen film.

    It has an exceptionally strong cast. A wonderful split story. The dialog is of course greatly written in true Allen tradition. It has a wonderful soundtrack. It is one of Allen's best works in terms of a well made film, complete with well imputed flashbacks, cutting, and editing. It also plays situations for the darker, which works very well for the picture.

    Lester: Comedy is tragedy plus time!

    Story one is a typical Woody Allen styled comedy/drama. Allen plays a struggling documentary filmmaker. He is seemingly unhappily married and has just been given the terrible but needed work of making a film about his pompous brother-in-law played by Alan Alda. This is pretty terrible for him, but he meets a woman on the production, played by Mia Farrow, which he wishes to pursue a relation with.

    Cliff Stern: It's probably just as well. I plagiarized most of it from James Joyce. You probably wondered why all the references to Dublin.

    Story two involves a successful eye doctor Judah, played wonderfully by Martin Landaou. While he is well respected, he is having an affair with an obsessive woman, played by Anjelica Huston. As she seems to be trying to hurt him by revealing the truth to his wife, Landau is forced to come to a decision based on the advice from both a rabbi who is going blind, played by Sam Waterston, and his brother Jack, a small-time gangster.

    Ben: It's a human life. You don't think God sees?
    Judah Rosenthal: God is a luxury I can't afford.

    The two stories have many similar themes, of course played for different effect, before eventually coming together. The film itself has multiple layers and is all ingeniously constructed to work on many levels.

    It is of course also set in New York, which provides for wonderful scenery in terms of showing many sides of the city.

    This is truly a great film in all respects, filled with wonderful dialog and moving along at a perfect pace to reflect on both stories.

    Cliff Stern: I think I see a cab. If we run quickly we can kick the crutch from that old lady and get it.
  • April 20, 2008
    Martin Landau is so annoying..
  • April 12, 2008
    Allen's reflection about morality, skepticism, love, and God. Sometimes funny, sometimes tragic, always intelligent. Which of course all of Woody Allen's films are. Martin Landau is a spectacular actor, he amazed me in Ed Wood and here it shows again that he was indeed very talen...( read more)ted.
  • September 18, 2009
    Morality and the human concience as being the main topics in this romantic comedy result, under the direction of Woody Allen, in an awesome funny and clever film not to be missed.

    84/100
  • August 17, 2009
    Pretty thought-provoking. I seem to like Woody Allen's films in spite of myself, as I tend to wonder just how much Woody Allen respects women.
  • July 12, 2009
    Probably the most potent Woody Allen film I've seen, the scene when Angelika Huston is killed is especially haunting, altogether a really good movie
  • June 24, 2009
    nominated for best picture by NBR and the golden globes
  • June 20, 2009
    Its a nice movie. you should watch this.

Critic Reviews


January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

The movie generates the best kind of suspense, because it's not about what will happen to people -- it's about what decisions they will reach. full review

View more Crimes and Misdemeanors reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

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Crimes and Misdemeanors Trivia


  • This man was nominated for a best supporting actor Oscar in three films: Tucker (1989), Crimes and Misdemeanors (1990), and finally Ed Wood (1994), his only win, for playing Bela Lugosi.  Answer »
  • Sam Waterson and Jerry Orbach starred together in the TV series Law and Order. They also both appeared in which Woody Allen film?  Answer »
  • Identify the director from the following films: Match Point Annie Hall Manhattan Crimes and Misdemeanors Melinda and Melinda  Answer »

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