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Review by Susan Granger
4 stars out of 4
The less you know about this romantic comedy gem, the more
you'll enjoy the continuous surprises that await you. Woody Allen, who
wrote, directed and stars in the clever caper realizes that - which is
why he keeps a veil of secrecy around all his projects. In this
Manhattan-based story, Woody plays an ex-con dishwasher with Tracey
Ullman as Frances "Frenchy" Fox, his stripper-turned-manicurist
wife. They concoct a half-baked, get-rich-quick scheme involving a
bank robbery that, as Woody puts it, leaves them rolling in
dough...but not the kind they had in mind. Allen's theme revolves
around the old adage: Be careful what you wish for - you may just get
it. And his sly, observant script has more witty, literate dialogue
than you can hope to hear in a movie these days. There's no doubt that
Woody Allen is a comic genius, but his knack for casting just the
right actor in the right role is second to none. This film marks
Ullman's third teaming with Allen; there's a rumor that her role was
originally offered to Barbra Streisand - but Tracey's terrific. Jon
Lovitz, Michael Rapaport and Tony Darrow provide slapstick comedy as
Allen's three stooges. Hugh Grant lends an aura of sophistication as
an unscrupulous art dealer whose "lessons in life" aren't easily
forgotten and Elaine May almost steals the picture as an endearing
dim-witted cousin. Production designer Santo Loquasto and costumer
Suzanne McCabe set a new standard for nouveau riche taste. On the
Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, "Small Time Crooks" is a delicious,
delectable 10, one of the best comedies to come our way in
years. "Small Time Crooks" is filled with uproarious, contagious
laughs - it's big time fun.
Copyright © 2000 Susan Granger
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