Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)

It's about love and reality. Faith and delusion. Good and evil. Success and failure.

A renowned ophthalmologist is desperate to cut off an adulterous relationship…which ends up in murder; and a frustrated documentary filmmaker woos an attractive television producer while making a film about her insufferably self-centered boss.

Comedy Drama Crime adultery new york city assassin professor brother-in-law murder mistress doctor hired killer documentary filmmaking

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Character

Contemporary, prestige, spare and meticulous.

contemporarynostalgic
unpretentiousprestige
sparerichly built
rawmeticulous
resolvedopen-ended

Who loves it, who doesn't

18 profiled raters. Loved most by The Prestige Hunters; disliked most by The Comfort Seekers.

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“Is this Woody Allen's best work?”
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“Is Judah Rosenthal the real protagonist?”
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“Is it fair to its subject?”
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Across media

If you loved this film, the television, the book, the album, the game.

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Reviews on TMDB

Written by TMDB members; each links to the original. Not part of Tastebuds's numbers.

CinemaSerfon TMDB · Aug 20267/10
I think of all Woody Allen's ensemble-style critiques of societal dysfunction, this is probably my favourite. Ostensibly, it's really about the perilous peccadilloes of "Judah" (Martin Landau) who is one of those highly respected clinicians who is married to "Miriam" (Claire Bloom) but has been having an affair with "Dolores" (Anjelica Huston) for as long as he can remember. To be fair to the man, he does love both women, but he is a downright liar promising the latter woman marriage when he hasn't the slightest intention of leaving his wife. Finally sick of this scenario, "Dolores" demands a meeting with "Miriam" and when that is swerved writes a letter that he is only just able to intercept. Now a little panic-stricken, he confides his predicament to his brother "Jack" (Jerry Orbach) who promises, for a token sum of money, to make the whole thing go away. In parallel to these domestic shenanigans, Woody himself makes his appearance as film cameraman "Stern" who is charged with making a documentary about the rather pompous "Lester" (Alan Alda) who reckons he, and he alone, understands the rudimentary nature of comedy. To put it mildly, "Stern" isn't exactly enjoying his task but h
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talisencrwon TMDB · May 20169/10
Definitely top-tier Woody Allen. The writing, acting and directing are first-rate, as he finishes off another of his artistic purple patches. I'm not an Alan Alda fan in the slightest simply because he's so good at this slimy, know-it-all persona that he once again carries off so effortlessly here. An essential watch for all cinephiles, and worth a purchase and rewatches for Woody Allen enthusiasts.
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