Small Time Crooks
SHADOWS AWARD
BEST WRITER
BEST WRITER
Ray (Allen) is a small time crook with delusions of grandeur. When he plans a complex bank heist, his wife Frenchy (Ullman) laughs in his face, but goes along with it anyway. The plan is hopeless from the start, but they soon strike it incredibly rich in an unexpected way. Now Ray feels like an outsider in high society, while Frenchy hires the sophisticated David (Grant) to coach her in the ways of the rich and tasteful. But David only has one thing on his mind: Frenchy's money.
The layers of morality add a bit of a bite to this fluffy farce. Allen is great at capturing real human motives and aspirations in his films. But this is really just a silly comedy full of over-the-top tastelessness (namely the way Frenchy dresses and decorates their new home). Ullman is terrific in the role, which uses her comedic gifts without requiring too much effort. And the same could be said of Allen--he does write these things for himself, after all, and he plays it perfectly. There are some classically hilarious sequences, and the whole things is jammed with wonderfully funny characters and one-liners. So even if it's not one of Allen's better efforts, it's still great fun.
[PG--themes, language] 26.Oct.00
US release 19.May.00; UK release 1.Dec.00
