SimonJack Woody Allen has had an award-winning career in comedy – as a writer, actor and film director. But, his frequent roles as a whiny character on film soon become grating to me and wear out much of the comedy of the script. This film is an exception. Although other projects have received the honors, "Small Time Crooks" is one of the funniest of his films. It has more witty dialog and funny situations than most. And the script is loaded with enough hilarious dialog that it overrides the few occasions when Allen's character reduces to whining about something. The plot for this film is superb and very funny with its several diversions. The acting is tops by the entire cast. Allan is very good as Ray, and Tracey Ullman is a riot as his wife, Frenchy. Jon Lovitz is Benny, Tony Darrow is Tommy and Michael Rapaport is Denny. All have very funny scenes and lines. Hugh Grant does a fine job as a straight man. But Elaine May as May has the best lines by far and steals the scenes in which she appears. I rate this one of the funniest and best of Allen's movies, especially for the screenplay and the excellent cast. It's a very good caper comedy. Here are some of my favorite lines from the film.Ray, "What would you say if I told you you were married to a genius?" Frenchy, "I'd say I must be a bigamist."Benny, "Where do you get four fourths and a third?" Denny, "Look, I don't do fractions, right?"TV reporter, "Or, as we in television say, there's no accounting for the public's taste."May, "I'm a hemophiliac." Edgar's wife, "Oh dear, are you bleeding?" May, "Why would I be bleeding?"May, "They diagnosed it as Parkinson's. But they think it could be the Ebola virus or Mad Cow Disease."

roystephen-81252 To me, Woody Allen is at his best when he makes us laugh and cry at the same time. When I first saw this film in the movie theatre, I found it thoroughly entertaining, but more in the same vein as his "early funny ones" than his later, deeper work (Crimes & Misdemeanors, Husbands & Wives and the like). Upon repeated viewing, though, I realised I had been wrong. It is light-hearted and funny on the surface, but much much deeper than it first seems. It has really grown on me since and has become one of my favourites. The cast are all superb, from Tracey Ullman to Hugh Grant, even Woody gives one of his best performances of his career. Highly recommended for both fans of Woody's funny ones and of his more serious dramas.

fifo23 I consider this movie to be real art. It is very proactive since it is about people who are not special in any way. They don't really have a lot of "bad" habits and attributes, but nevertheless could be considered as paragons. It really puts a mirror to this society, but not in a dry way like in what many of us would consider an art movie. It is very humorous and the characters, especially, but not only the minor roles are very exaggerated. However this is intended. It is needed to describe something that you can't just express in a few words.I haven't seen any movie unifying a cozy small, humorous movie with such a huge load of provocative social criticism. Such a balancing act has been tried over and over and many have failed. Not so this movie. Woody Allen created a masterpiece.

moonspinner55 One-note reworking of 1942's "Larceny, Inc." about a low-class New York couple who conspire to rob a bank, but who instead find financial success through their own ruse: by opening a bakery right next door. Writer-director-star Woody Allen doesn't appear to have his heart invested in this material (it seems a little cheeky and overtly commercial for him), though there are some good laughs after a sloppy opening. Colorful, squirrelly supporting players keep it bubbling happily for about an hour, but Allen's third act finishes limply. Slapstick chaos is no longer Woody's forte; he resorts to brash heckling to get his script over the hump, and he's hindered further by Zhao Fei's dark, disappointing cinematography. ** from ****