If I was forced somehow to choose one Woody Allen film that surpassed all others, one film to rule them all, at this point in my life I would go with Crimes and Misdemeanors. The reason may have to do with the fact that Allen depicts his philosophical interests most directly here, featuring a prominent fictional philosopher as an inspiration for the Allen character, and also in the story centering on the Martin Landau character, who hires a hitman to kill his mistress before she can reveal their relationship to his wife.
I think this movie blends Allen’s comedy with his dramatic and philosophical sensibilities most effectively among his many films. Alan Alda’s character is a source of tremendous humor; his absolutist thoughts on comedy, which he spouts off to anyone who will listen, annoys the Allen character in a way he doesn’t even seem to be able to express adequately. This is compounded by the jealous he has for the Alda character, whom his peers regard as something of a genius. His hipster glasses are worn appropriately here—Allen feels like an underappreciated philosopher only he knows deserves the type of praise a person like the Alda character receives. But this story is matched by its counterpart, the murder plot with Martin Landau, who struggles with the morality of his decision, as well as the moral implications of his feelings after the deed is carried out. Seeing the two main characters at the end together feels like it’s been earned, and their scene melds the two characters and their contrasting ideas into an ambivalent conclusion that is just masterful.
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