The Law of Allen: Crimes and Misdemeanors

It seems as if Crimes and Misdemeanors stories at first don't really combine very well and just seem thrown together randomly. One story is about a very successful ophthalmologist named Judah(Martin Landau) who in trying to protect his career and marriage has his mistress killed after she threatens to reveal herself to his family, he lives with the guilt in his heart after committing this crime and it changes his life. The other story is about a small time filmmaker Cliff(Woody Allen) who's marriage is on the rocks, his brother in law is a producer and a pompous ass named Lester (Alan Alda) who wants Cliff to direct a documentary on him for a series. While shooting the documentary Cliff falls in love with producer Halley(Mia Farrow) and the usual Woody Allen likes girl, girl likes Woody Allen, girl makes sad but realistic choice leaving Woody sad and alone. Strangely enough watching this film, I felt it was the most mature work I have seen from Woody Allen as well as his funniest. While all the serious parts were wonderful (Landau was really amazing) I couldn't help but fall over laughing when Cliff's sister confides in him about her rather raunchy and embarrassing sexual escapades with a near stranger. This is the first Woody Allen film I have watched where the focus isn't entirely on him. But his presence is always felt. There is a scene where Judah visits his childhood home and experiences an Annie Hall - like flashback to a dinner table conversation about Judaism. Judah just as Alvy does several times in Annie Hall interacts with the flashback and receives advice from his relatives. This is all very evident of Woody's personality and style being in every scene of the film. The two stories and how they play off of each other show very well in the final scene where Judah has apparently gotten over his grief while Cliff still believes that they will be punished for there "Crimes and Misdemeanors" its a very good look on the opposite ends of the spectrum and how human nature forces us to act in these situations. Punished, unpunished we all commit a crime, but as the film states, we hope future generations never have to do what we do. Be it murder, or cheating on your wife. Crimes and Misdemeanors.