Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)

	Director: Woody Allen	COUNTRY USA GENRE Drama/Comedy NORWEGIAN TITLE Mord og andre misforståelser RUNNING TIME 107 minutes
	Producer: Robert Greenhut
	Screenwriter: Woody Allen

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Judah Rosenthal	Martin Landau	½
Cliff Stern	Woody Allen
Dolores Paley	Anjelica Huston	½
Halley Reed	Mia Farrow
Miriam Rosenthal	Claire Bloom	½
Lester	Alan Alda	½
Barbara	Caroline Aaron	-
Jenny	Jenny Nichols	-
Wendy Stern	Joanna Gleason	½
Jack Rosenthal	Jerry Orbach
Ben	Sam Waterston	½
Cameos	Daryl Hannah Mercedes Ruehl	-

Review

Here is one of Woody Allen's finest moments. Crimes and Misdemeanors is a remarkably coherent and well-written exploration of morality and ethics, delivered with an earnestness and intelligence that belie its characters and give the audience some captivating insight. The film has Allen's usual richness of character, but with unusual nuances – at least for most of them. Allen sometimes has a tendency to throw in too many characters and relations in his films, but here he keeps everything tight and focused, as he weaves his two main storylines impressively together. Martin Landau carries the weight of the film and does so with a pensive presence and deep acumen, but the real treat here is Alan Alda as the slick and arrogant but ultimately charming and reasonable Lester. Allen is bold and ambitious in his attempt to answer the weighty questions he raises. You might not necessarily learn any new universal truths, but Crimes and Misdemeanors is a perceptive and engaging cinematic experience; one of Allen's most assured.