This is a film that I consider to be one of Woody Allen's best. Crimes and Misdmeanors is not by any stretch, your typical Allen fare. And while I have placed this film under the "comedy" genre as a means to categorize it, by no means should this movie be considered such through and through. It is practically the tale of two movies, one that is unabashedly serious, and the other, a lighter, gentler comedy, with a mindful eye. It is also Allen's deepest, most thought provoking work he has ever made. It is a legitamately interesting film, with a finale that is quite startling and indelibly memorable.

     As for the light side of the film, Woody Allen stars as Cliff Stern, a filmmaker who is begrudgingly making a television documentary for a blowhard comedian played wonderfully by Alan Alda, whose mantra seems to be, "tragedy plus time, equals funny." Apparently, Allen had really encountered a person like this in real life and decided to spoof him here. A love interest between Cliff Stern and PBS producer Halley Reed (Mia Farrow) also develops, and it is often sweet. Both Allen and Farrow are quite charming together and compliment one another very nicely throughout the film.

     The darker side of the film is a heavy one. It is overflowing with moral dilemma, some that ring as treacherous and difficult as those in a play by Euripides! This darker part of the film stars Hollywood legend Martin Landau as he decides whether or not to hire a hitman to kill his mistress, as a way to keep her quiet. He is tortured by the choice - should he silence her permanently to keep his otherwise perfect and shiny lifestyle in tact? Or should he do what is morally right and admit to his mistakes, but also, destroy his entire lively hood? Landau commands the screen with his turmoil.

     What is also quite fascinating is Landau's brother in the film, played brilliantly by Sam Waterston. Waterston's character is progressively going blind, but his moral compass is quite strong, and he tries to guide his troubled brother with his sense of wisdom and trust in God. I find it interesting that Waterston's character is blind because if you juxtapose that fact with his morality, you get a paradox. Is this a way of saying that he doesn't see what really goes on in the world? That he is blinded by his own faith and beliefs? The scenes involving Waterston are some of most psychological and thought provoking of the entire film, and they hit as hard as the ending does - something of which I cannot reveal, for you must see for yourself!

     The two storylines run parallel to each other most of the time throughout the film, but their modes of achieving some of the same questions of morality and thoughts on life are quite stark. They both somehow reach a similar conclusion, and while the end is indeed a surprise, it just leaves you thinking about how precious life really is, and it emphasizes the fragility of the human being, in both body and certainly, perhaps more so, the mind.

     As you can see, this is indeed a film that encompasses a lot of philosophy and morality. Perhaps my review of it made it seem too heavy-handed, but Allen tells the story in a very watchable fashion. It's a way that does not detract from the bigger themes, but it does not alienate the audience either. The audience will be easily captivated by the films two story arcs, and will be engrossed by the experience. Crimes and Misdemeanors is a modern classic, and ranks as one of Woody Allen's best works.

-Kurt L.

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