Small Time Crooks

source: Small Time Crooks

Small Time Crooks is a cute comedy but will never really be one of Allen's classic efforts. The first 20 minutes are hilarious as Ray,played by Allen , returns to his old ways and decides to get rich by renting a building next to a local bank. The plan is to have a front business and , at the same time, drill a tunnel into the bank, thus getting access to the safe. Things don't go quite as planned to say the least. The story really changes at this point which was a disappointment to me. The rest of the movie has some funny dialog prompting me to recommend that you see this, above average, comedy. Tracey Ullman is delightful as Ray's wife "Frenchy".

This would have made a perfect short if the film had ended with the cookie success. The lines and visual comedy were pretty funny here but everything goes way downhill afterwards. About this time I found myself fixing on Mr. Allen and the major mismatch between him and the rest of the cast. He is getting on in years and looked out of place with the way younger cast. Also his complaining really starts to get very old after the first half hour. Yep, it used to be funny and it is part of his character, but what worked thirty years ago seems out of place today.

SMALL TIME CROOKS is boring and redundant. Furthermore, all humor is forced and Woody's performance is completely stale. As a result, I recommend avoiding this picture and taking up with one of the earlier classics like TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN. Ted's Grade: C-

I love this movie so much. I own it on dvd, and have watched a number of times. The movie is about Ray Winkler (Allen) and Frenchie Winkler (Ullman) and there quest to make it big robbing a bank, by tunneling under using a mom and pop cookie shop as the front. This movie has an incredible list of supporting charecters including Hugh Grant (About a Boy, Notting Hill) John Lovitz (Trapped in Paradise, A League of there own) and Michael Rapaport (The 6th day, Mighty Aphrodite). It contains some hilarious scenes of situation comedy, and some hilarious lines. It's definetly a must see for Woody fans.

'Small Time Crooks' is a rare chameleon of a movie that is both funny (mostly the first half) and serious (mostly the second half). Some critics said that because Woody Allen turns out so many movies, usually one a year, that his dialogue now sounds forced. That isn't the way I saw the film at all. An aging Woody looks and sounds as hilarious as ever as a small time loser who makes a fortune along with his wife and his seedy friends off their front for the real job which didn't go exactly as they planned. The REAL stand out in this movie is Tracey Ullman who plays Allen's wife in the film. Her stand as sort of independent and head strong is a great balance that prepares her for the film's second half where her character really shines. She deserves an Oscar nomination for this one as does the screenplay by Allen. Woody is back!

Tracy Ullman is the star, and her story is both interesting and winning, as she perseveres in the face of being surrounded by nothing but some of the stupidest and amoral people in the history of Earth. Allen's own character is more tedious and annoying than funny, but when Ullman or Elaine May are with him, he has his best moments. Hugh Grant is marvelous in his limited role, and Elaine May nearly walks off with the film. We spend far too much time with simpletons being simple, and this doesn't have a Marty-type context to justify it. Still, it moves quickly enough and makes you smile enough to please. In other words, you could do a lot worse.

This is a very lightweight piece, harking back to Allen's early work but with more emphasis on the verbal humour and less on the slapstick. It works very well and is consistently hilarious. There are good performances from all the main characters and also from Elaine May as Frenchie's ditsy sister

Although it ran no more than 90 minutes, Woody Allen's "Small Time Crooks" was made up of two distinct halves. In the first, Woody and his buddies fumble about a bank robbery scheme. In the second, Allen and Tracey Ullman, playing his wife, try to find happiness amidst their newly found wealth. The first half is innocent and funny and reminiscent of Allen's earliest comedies such as Sleeper and Bananas. Allen and Ullman play off of each other lovely with lots of wit. The second half, unfortunately, is nothing more than preachy; Allen delivers the worn-out message of "wealth brings no happiness/I was happier when I was poor." I commend Allen for trying to return to his roots, but he's not there yet. Grade: C+

Small time crooks make it big in unexpected ways. Great one liners and cast, excellent set designs, interesting look at the difference between small ( lower class) and big thieves (upper). But mainly good fun. One of Allen's all out comedies.