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Amazon.co.uk Review
In Small Time Crooks, Woody Allen plays someone radically distinct from himself and his standard film persona--Ray, a failed safe-cracker who believes that his nickname "The Brain" is other than sarcastic. Increasingly, Allen is at his best when least present in his films, either by playing someone else or by having someone else play him. Good and funny as he is here, though, the film belongs to the two women stars: Tracey Ullmann is a force of nature as Frenchy, Ray's wife, who turns their cookie shop cover story for a bank job into a multi-million dollar enterprise and then decides that she wants to smarten up their image; Elaine May, meanwhile, is adorable as Frenchie's dim cousin May, one of the film's principal voices of good sense. Hugh Grant is a splendidly despicable gigolo and a large cast do impressive comic turns. Another of the film's stars, though, is the decor of Frenchie's apartment--there's a guilty pleasure in seeing just what vast wealth and bad taste can do. Small Time Crooks is lightweight Allen, but it is attractively good-humoured and intelligently plotted and not above the pleasures of pure slapstick--the sight gags when Ray and his gang are trying to tunnel into the bank are predictable but still funny.

On the DVD: The DVD has Dolby sound, which brings out attractively a score made up of forgotten pop songs from the late-Swing Era; the anamorphic widescreen picture gives surprising crispness to what is, most of the time, a chamber piece.--Roz Kaveney

Video Description
DVD Special Features:

16:9 Anamorphic
English Mono
Subtitles: English for the hard of hearing
Extras: Theatrical Trailer

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5 Reviews 5 star:    (0) 4 star:  (1) 3 star:  (4) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review (5 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   10 of 11 people found the following review helpful: A minor Woody Allen effort made memorable by Elaine May, 15 Jan 2004 By  Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews       This review is from: Small Time Crooks [2000] (VHS Tape) When you learn that Woody Allen made a film with Tracy Ullman as his leading lady, then you say to yourself that you would like to see that movie. But when you are finished watching "Small Time Crooks" the two people you are probably going to be talking about the most are Elaine May and Elaine Stritch, who pretty much steal every single scene in which they appear in this film. However, this makes sense, because "Small Town Crooks" is a film where about five minutes in your figure out what the twist is going to be, but then you discover that is going to be the first of several twists that keep you spinning around from start to finish in this film. Allen's nebish this time around is Ray Winkler, a former crook who conceives of a self-admittedly "brilliant" plan for robbing a bank, which requires his wife, the former exotic dancer "Frenchy" Fox, to open up a cookie store as a front while Ray and his bumbling buddies attempt to execute his master plan so he and Frenchy can go to Florida and live the good life that has so long elluded them. "Small Town Crooks" is certainly a break from Woody Allen's usual fare in recent years, but it ends up being a second tier comedy for the writer-director (operationally define as a film you watch once and determine that is enough). I also came to the conclusion, given Allen's tendency to work improvisationally, that all of the great lines spouted by Elaine Mae came from her own fertile comedic mind. This does not take away from the disappointment of not seeing Ullman finally go long on the big screen, but it is certainly a source of solace. I also would not have minded seeing more of Allen's version of the gang that couldn't do nuttin' right, made up of actors Michael Rapaport, Tony Darrow, and John Lovitz. Still, "Small Time Crooks" does provide another example of Allen in an optimistic mood, albeit on a minor level.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)   4 of 5 people found the following review helpful: Lightweight latest from legendary auteur, 16 May 2001 By  Mr. D. Woods "dwoods92" - See all my reviews       Considering Woody's forays into darker drama in the nineties and late eighties, Small Time Crooks is a surprisngly lighter affair. It has its faults, not least that it is a weaker version of Take The Money and Run. Hugh Grant also seems out of place, failing to get to grips with Woody's style. However, for what it lacks in substance, Small Time Crooks makes up for with a sense of fun and frivolity. Tracey Ullman in particular is great, with Allen providing typically wry support, although Jon Lovitz and Michael Rappaport are wasted. It won't win Woody Allen any new fans but established fanatics (like me !) will want to own this.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this)   6 of 9 people found the following review helpful: Woody At His Best, 28 Sep 2001 By A Customer This review is from: Small Time Crooks [2000] (VHS Tape) Backed by a great cast including Tracy Ulman, comedy legend and genius Woody Allen gives us one of his funniest and most sparkling comedies in years. Sure, it's nothing profound and it's by no means a classic, but if you're looking for just pure fun that will take you away from life's troubles for a while, you can't do better than this hilarious crime caper.  Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? (Report this) › See all 5 customer reviews...		Most Recent Customer Reviews cute sunday entertainment for Allen fans I saw this one on a sunday and I think thats the right day to see this movie. "The story is very feelgood with some silly gags", from review about. Read more Published on 23 April 2001 Woody Allen in a return to his earlier comic turns Small Time Crooks is played purely for laughs. The film is low budget and only has a small number of characters. Read more Published on 20 Mar 2001 Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 5 customer reviews...