DreamWorks presents
Small Time Crooks (2000)

"I wish I was still a crook. Then I'd feel like an actual person again."
- Ray Winkler (Woody Allen)

Review By: Mark Zimmer   
Published: December 13, 2000

Stars: Woody Allen, Tracey Ullman, Hugh Grant, Elaine May
Other Stars: Jon Lovitz, Michael Rapaport, Tony Darrow, George Grizzard, Elaine Stritch
Director: Woody Allen

MPAA Rating: PG for language.
Run Time: 01h:34m:26s
Release Date: December 19, 2000
UPC: 667068640229
Genre: comedy

Style Grade	Substance Grade	Image Transfer Grade	Audio Transfer Grade	Extras Grade
B	B-	A	B	C-

DVD Review

After years of making dramas and comedy-dramas, Woody Allen finally returned to the big-screen with a flatout comedy in 2000, Small Time Crooks. His neurotic nebbish persona hasn't aged too gracefully, though; what was funny when he was younger now just seems pathetic. Much of the humor here comes from the excellent supporting cast.

Allen stars as Ray Winkler, a former numbers runner and failed bank robber (an older version of the character in Take the Money and Run, perhaps?) who has concocted a scheme to tunnel from a defunct pizza parlor into a nearby bank vault. Aided by his cronies, arsonist Benny (Jon Lovitz), and dimwits Denny (Michael Rapaport) and Tommy (Tony Darrow), Ray ineptly proceeds with the tunnel idea, using his wife Frenchy (Tracey Ullman) as a front up above. Unexpectedly, her cookie shop becomes a huge hit, putting the Winklers in the big time. As Frenchy tries to adjust and gain some class by taking lessons from art hustler David (Hugh Grant), Ray becomes more and more disenchanted with money, leading to a comic conclusion.

While there are some clever and humorous bits scattered throughout the film, it's not really a return to Allen's old form. The lead characters are uniformly stupid and inept, best exemplified by Frenchy's idiot cousin, May Sloan (a splendid Elaine May, of Nichols & May). May not only makes the rest of the cast look like geniuses, but she's got a charm of her own, in her own dimwitted way. Lovitz plays something other than his usual slimy character here, although he's almost nondescript. Rapaport and Darrow are good as the bumbling sidekicks; the scene where they break a water main while drilling and try to plug it with Darrow's arm is quite funny indeed. Ullman is as always spot on in her accent, this time taking on the New Jersey housewife to a would-be hoodlum. Grant humourously takes on a parody of his usual nice romantic lead and is an out-and-out rotter this time.

The ensemble works quite nicely together; it's unfortunate that the script doesn't really give them more to do. It seems as if Allen is trying to put the film into a classical three-act mold, with the rise, the top and the inevitable collapse each sharing equal time; frankly the funniest bit is the nouveau riche uncouthness of the Winklers, and the crook angle is nearly forgotten for much of the film. The humor is quiet and droll most of the time, without generating much in the way of big laughs. The few attempts at slapstick are so lame they need a crutch. Allen should stick to the verbal humor, since it's what he's best at.

That said, this is a pleasant enough comedy which is really pretty inoffensive; it hardly merits the PG rating that the MPAA placed upon it. We aren't pummeled with sex and fart jokes throughout, as seems to be the case so much these days. You could do a lot worse in looking for a modern comedy for the family than this one.

Rating for Style: B
Rating for Substance: B-

 

Image Transfer

	One
Aspect Ratio	1.85:1 - Widescreen
Original Aspect Ratio	yes
Anamorphic	yes

Image Transfer Review: As befits a movie from 2000, the transfer is pristine, with no visible damage. The anamorphic picture is sharp and crisp throughout. Black levels are excellent as are colors; the loud clothing of the Winklers really stands out great. Nothing at all to complain about here.

Image Transfer Grade: A

 

Audio Transfer

	Language	Remote Access
Mono	English	no

Audio Transfer Review: As is the case in all of Woody Allen's movies, the only audio available is mono. That's perfectly fine for a film such as this, without any significant places to use surround or LFE. In fact, it's quite apropos for the music, much of which intentionally sounds transferred from old 78s, complete with crackle and pops. Dialogue is nearly always clear, and range is excellent. Woody may only make mono tracks for his films, but he makes good mono tracks.

Audio Transfer Grade: B

 

Disc Extras

Animated menu with music
Scene Access with 24 cues and remote access
Subtitles/Captions in English with remote access
Cast and Crew Biographies
Cast and Crew Filmographies
1 Original Trailer(s)
Production Notes
Packaging: Amaray
Picture Disc
1 Disc
1-Sided disc(s)
Layers: single

Extras Review: The principal extra is a modestly long set of production notes, contained both in the booklet and provided verbatim onscreen in a less readable version. These notes are informative and certainly better than nothing. Filmographies and bios for an extensive list of cast and crew are included, with television appearances also present. DreamWorks omits a bio for Allen, but does provide a filmography. There is also an anamorphic trailer for the film. Not much, but again, better than nothing.

Extras Grade: C-

 

Final Comments

A mildly funny return to comedy for Woody; Elaine May is the best thing about it. Not a lot of extras, but worth a look.

 

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