Crimes and Misdemeanors | Rotten Tomatoes

Crimes and Misdemeanors

PG-13

Released Oct 13, 1989

1 hr. 44 min.

Comedy

Drama

List

92%

51 Reviews

Tomatometer

91%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Judah (Martin Landau) is a philandering eye doctor who wants to preserve his marriage, and his dangerous brother Jack (Jerry Orbach) comes up with what appears to be the only viable solution. Certain that his mistress (Anjelica Huston) is about to tell his wife (Claire Bloom) about his affair, Judah agrees to Jack's murderous plan. Twinned with Judah's tale is that of Cliff Stern (Woody Allen), a documentary filmmaker whose problems, which involve love and art, are tame but funny.

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Jeff M

There was a period between approximately 1977 and 1994 during which Woody Allen the filmmaker was practically unstoppable. In my opinion, his output during these years was unrivaled, and this is easily among the top five of his career. I feel fairly confident in proclaiming that NO film has EVER blended drama and comedy together in such perfect harmony. And I can't think of a filmmaker who is so adept at juggling multiple storylines together so seamlessly. Allen has always had the ability to attract the most startlingly brilliant casts imaginable, even in his lesser offerings, and this is definitely no exception. I would have awarded Landau and Alan Alda Oscars for this film and possibly Anjelica Huston as well. This is a perfectly acted, brilliantly smart and complex film that has you alternately laughing hysterically one moment and contemplating the meaning of existence the next. Watching a film like this has unfortunately become a somewhat sad experience because it serves as a reminder of the brilliant artist Allen was. His output the last couple decades severely pales in comparison. But one can't help but hope there is still a spark inside of him which could produce another one or two achievements on par with this one!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/11/24

Full Review

Viviana G

Fantastic movie, one of Allen´s best films. Where can I see it again?

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/03/24

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geordie b

This is 104 minutes of pure brilliance & one of Woody Allen's greatest achievements. Masterpiece.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/19/23

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Petros T

It has its strong moments but is a tad underwhelming on the whole. The cast is good, some of the jokes land well, and the philosophical and religious musings carry a certain de facto weight even if it's all familiar territory for Allen by this point. However, the film cuts abruptly from one storyline to the other, and the fact that the two never truly come together in a meaningful way is a cop-out; similarly, the alternation between comedy and tragedy is a bit confusing and not really balanced.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

08/22/23

Full Review

Dave S

The 80s were arguably Woody Allen's most creative decade, consistently pumping out quality films, including the likes of Hannah and Her Sisters, Broadway Danny Rose, Zelig, The Purple Rose of Cairo, and, to cap the decade off, Crimes and Misdemeanors. The latter film, which continues his exploration of existential angst, brings to light the fact that good is not always rewarded and evil is not always punished. As with most of his movies, the cast is stellar (Alan Alda, Martin Landau, Anjelica Huston, Mia Farrow, and more), the writing is brilliant, and Allen's direction, as always, is thoughtful and well-staged. While Crimes and Misdemeanors may not be his best film, it is certainly close to the top of the list.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/04/23

Full Review

Henry H

I think this is one of Woody Allen's best movies, and features a top-notch performance by Martin Landau.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/16/22

Full Review

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Woody Allen

Director

Martin Landau

Judah Rosenthal

Woody Allen

Cliff Stern

Mia Farrow

Halley Reed

Alan Alda

Lester

Anjelica Huston

Dolores Paley

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Henry Sheehan

Chicago Reader

As a tragedian, Allen is still stuck in some sort of high school classroom, cribbing the form, but never the substance, of vaunted classics.

Rated: 1/4

May 11, 2022

Full Review

David Robinson

Times (UK)

Woody Alton's films alternate between the comic, in which he himself stars, and the serious and even solemn, which he does not Crimes and Misdemeanors successfully combines both styles.

Jun 23, 2020

Full Review

Derek Malcolm

Guardian

It is both a civilised comedy with iron in its soul and a serious examination of our inner fears that also manages to be very funny.

Mar 20, 2018

Full Review

Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

There's a lot to laugh about…buts it’s a defense mechanism against the demolishing pessimism. [Full review in Spanish]

Jun 29, 2022

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Woody Allen has not made a Hollywood movie; he has made an important work of art that raises existential and moral questions.

Rated: 4/4

Mar 2, 2022

Full Review

Victor Pineyro

Seventh Art Studio

Woody Allen's writing hypnotizes me, it's no secret that he's a much better writer than director. This film has incredible reaction acting. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 8/10

Feb 11, 2021

Full Review

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Synopsis

Judah (Martin Landau) is a philandering eye doctor who wants to preserve his marriage, and his dangerous brother Jack (Jerry Orbach) comes up with what appears to be the only viable solution. Certain that his mistress (Anjelica Huston) is about to tell his wife (Claire Bloom) about his affair, Judah agrees to Jack's murderous plan. Twinned with Judah's tale is that of Cliff Stern (Woody Allen), a documentary filmmaker whose problems, which involve love and art, are tame but funny.

Director: Woody Allen
Executive Producer: Charles H. Joffe, Jack Rollins
Screenwriter: Woody Allen
Distributor: Orion Pictures
Production Co: Jack Rollins and Charles Joffe
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 13, 1989, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $17.6M
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 35mm