EssenceStory Well Deserved Praise

Dotbankey A lot of fun.

Ariella Broughton It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Mehdi Hoffman There's a more than satisfactory amount of boom-boom in the movie's trim running time.

TheLittleSongbird As someone who has loved or really liked(although from about 5 or 6 disappointments) most of what they've seen so far of Woody Allen's filmography(28 as of now), there was a lot to like about Small Time Crooks. But compared to a lot of Allen's other films, it was also uneven and disappointing. Getting onto the many good stuff, Small Time Crooks is beautifully photographed and there is a great use of locations, which look similarly great. Most of the acting is great, especially from Tracy Ullman who is splendid and Elaine May who is ditsy, charming and her comic timing is priceless. Woody Allen- whose directing I don't have a problem with here- gives a good performance too that does remind you of some of his earlier work. Jon Lovitz and Michael Rappaport are a lot of fun in the little screen time we see them in. The first half is great as well, with very witty and sharp writing that feels like a throwback to Allen's earlier wisecrack comedies and that was part of the appeal. In typical Allen fashion as well there is a lot to say on issues and relationships and it's done insightfully. The three main characters are compellingly drawn. Sadly, the second half doesn't match up, the pace sags, the writing is not as witty and sometimes take a patronising approach and the characters that made the first half entertaining disappear and are forgotten about seemingly. And while as said the acting is fine, Lovitz and Rappaport did deserve more to do, Elaine Stritch is pretty wasted and I wasn't enamoured by Hugh Grant here either, his character was underwritten and the performance felt too much of a self-parody. The story is not as interesting in this half either with some plot strands underdeveloped and clumsily resolved. In conclusion, enjoyable, well made and performed but lesser and uneven Woody Allen. 6/10 Bethany Cox

phd_travel The premise and basic situations are funny. The accidental way they became rich and the nouveau riche aspirations provide laughs.The laugh out loud moments are there but they are a little bit spaced out and extend beyond the laughter stops. It's a bit of a "one joke and variations" for the first half and another for the second. There just isn't enough good dialog throughout.Tracey Ullman is convincing and has comic timing and delivery. Hugh Grant is suited to his role but his lines are a bit obvious. Elaine May does the idiot well. Woody himself isn't too old looking yet.I think Woody's movies became excellent from Match Point onwards with original and vibrant movies like Whatever Works and Midnight in Paris. Small Time Crooks is good but not great.

Sandcooler Nobody likes to see Woody Allen complain for 90 minutes more than I do, but "Small Time Crooks" sorta phones it in. It's basically three movies in one, but none of the three really brings much new. It starts of as a comedy about goofy criminals, then it has a (too) lengthy fish-out-of-water act, then finally it goes back to square one and puts in some more love story lines. The characters are never particularly engaging, and Allen himself is surprisingly annoying in this one. There are a couple of bright spots though, and they can come from where you least expect it. For instance: Hugh Grant is really good in this movie. He may not be in it much, but it was refreshing to see him play something slightly different for once. Slightly. The best part of the movie is Elaine May's character though. The idiot character is probably the easiest part to write, but some of her lines are really quite inventive. "Small Time Crooks" is clearly one of the lesser works, but that doesn't really make it bad.

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 ****