Crimes and Misdemeanors

Director: Woody Allen

Released: 1989

Woody Allen is one of my favorite Directors. One of the first movies I really remember watching (and re-watching, and re-watching…) as a child was "Take the Money and Run", Allen's brilliant mockumentary of the life and times of a painfully common and bumbling thief (played hilariously by himself) made me howl with laughter, even if I only got the broadest strokes he laid down. Much of Allen's early work was noted for his comedy, both in what was written and in his screen persona.

Crimes and Misdemeanors is pointed out by some as a sharp turn in Allen's career toward the dramatic (Ebert Review). While Allen's character is signature and provides helpful comic relief, he is far from the main player in the film. Martin Landau, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his portrayal of Judah (the lead), is a dark character in a most troubling way because of his power (financial success, community status, etc.) and ability to ultimately not feel moral judgment for his acts.

One of my favorite things about Allen's films is the scarcity in which he shoots. He sits on masters and lets the actors do the work. He finds deceptively simple, yet deeply meaningful compositions and has the actor work in the frame he gives them. It's respectful to the actors, the story and the audience. It's much harder to look away when there isn't a cut and Allen uses that simplicity as a strength. Watched in a today's media landscape, where filmmakers often seem to cut just because they can or they fear they'll lose the audiences attention, Allen's work in Crimes stands out that much more because it's evident he trusts the story, the actors and what's on the screen. That kind of respect for the audience and confidence built from a mastery of technique, in itself, makes the film worth watching. The execution of said techniques left me wondering how I'd missed this film for so many years.