Probably my second favorite Allen film, C&M has a great deal in common with his more recent effort Match Point. But whereas the later film is more stark in its oppositions, C&M is filled with nuance and complexity in its moral questioning. This extra layer of complexity is likely due to the explicit presence of religion in C&M, but the film also succeeds due to wonderful dramatic performances from Landau and Waterston, as well as a fine comic turn from Allen himself.

If Ingmar Bergman made films about the Christian struggles, then Woody Allen just made the film about the Jewish struggles.

Woody Allen's best film, and that's really saying something. A really thought-provoking look into morality and what it means in a world where God might not exist.

Woody Allen's darkest and richest exploration of evil and its place in the universe. A companion piece to "Matchpoint," and at least its equal in quality. Landau and Orbach are particularly fine.

Witty and well-played (especially Landau and Alda). It's a huge gallery of people (but never too many). At the same time this is one of Allen's more explicit deep films, where the thematic references between the parallel stories are vague, yet still profound and - towards the end - they draw closer. The jewish professor that only exists on celluloid in this film is an incredible story character: his presence is saddening, comical (it reflects Allen's solitude which is always fun) and thoughtful.

This is not how human beings act. It's not an examination of the depths of man's inhumanity to man, it's puppets dancing on an empty stage.

"It's probably just as well. I plagiarized most of it from James Joyce. You probably wondered why all the references to Dublin." Brilliant..

It seems as though Woody's trying to get at big things here, and structurally maybe he's close at points, but the writing (which is really the only thing happening, beside Nykvist's camera) suffocates the whole endeavor. Landau and Huston both do what they can with it, but they can't make up for the hollow script. For a film that's trying to work through juxtaposition, there's no flow. The inserted clips come off as tacky and lazy, and Woody Allen plays Woody Allen. Again.

Allen is acutely aware that the course a film takes is much more important than its conclusion. This particular film is rather disjoint, but the way the characters handle their dilemnas, large and small, are fascinating, and in the end we are left with another beautiful question, worded with the cinematic intrigue for which Allen is beloved.

probably the most serious of allen's work, crimes and misdemeanors is quite a low key, grayscale kind of movie. While the movie's dual storylines and somber tone are unexpected, Allen still injects his quirky comedy and refined intellects into the script, making it an enjoyable and a thought provoking watch. Still, it has a depressing, downer overtone, a bit inaccessible for the casual viewer.

the most impressive and seamless use of the flashback i've ever seen. woody allen proves that even so far into his career he can pull of a great neurotic. i simply can't believe how great of a director he is. this is really such a great collection of acting, writing, and with so many great names that i defy you not to like it. there are no two ways about it, this is a very cerebral movie, but if you're not into that you wouldn't be looking at woody allen anyway.

Allen's zenith

Using two different storylines and sometimes subtly intertwining them worked wonders. Landau is great as the guilt-ridden cynic and Woody is wonderful as, well, Woody. Great use of flashbacks and voice-overs, especially loved the narration of the philosophy professor.

Maybe not as witty as his other films but nevertheless became one of my favourites. Why? Because his role was very small and his acting was low key, which in general is vice versa and makes me mad. So i liked it very much.