Crimes and Misdemeanors

Woody Allen's well-crafted story comes with a light touch, but ultimately hits like a haymaker. The subtle descent of Martin Landau's compromised ophthalmologist into further and further depths makes for riveting viewing, and while the secondary storyline--Allen and Alan Alda vie for the same woman--is less compelling, each tale reaches the same ending in a fascinating climax. Brief philosophical discussions, both bloodless and vibrant, and some crafty symbolism tie the whole thing together in a resolution that is surprising and provocative (and sadly, probably true). The film's impact comes not just in that resolution, but even past that ending, when you're thinking about it a day or two later. A powerful film.

A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy

This is a comedy; it says so right in the title. A sex comedy, no less. It's also a Woody Allen movie, from back in his more consistent days. So why is it so banal? The writing is occasionally funny, and it's gorgeously shot, but it never really catches fire. In fact, the most amazing thing in this movie is Tony Roberts's helmet-like hair.

Zelig

It's a brilliant concept for a movie: retelling the forgotten story of a "chameleon man" of the '20s and '30s in a "mockumentary" style. The execution is uneven; occasionally it reaches hilarity, though for most of its length Zelig simply maintains an even (though funny) keel. Interestingly, though it is now twenty years old, the movie's period focus--and purposely aged look--keep it from looking overly dated. If only Woody Allen's whole career could have kept itself so fresh.

Radio Days

Maybe this is where the downward slide started. Woody Allen's self-indulgence, which served him well early on, began to pull him down with this bit of autobiography. A nice idea--life during Allen's childhood, in the "radio days"--arrives too disjointed, too hit or miss, too erratic to be called a success. The film is better during the family sequences than the inevitable, shoehorned-in Mia Farrow storyline (back when she and he were still tight). The overall cast is excellent, the presentation is sterling and accurate to the period, but that self-indulgence--and some heavy-handed "statement" scenes--do just enough to pull this movie down. Not awful, but not what could have been.