Thieves Like Us
Populist morality in Woody Allen’s Small Time Crooks
In other words, this is one of the few Allen movies, if not the only one, in which you eagerly await the women’s replies to his dialogue. That‘s pretty scary, for while we’re used to watching Ullman portray an array of personalities, it‘s frankly unnerving to see Allen play Ralph Cramden. Instead of his trademark nebbish who is forced to witness and comment on the moral and intellectual mendacity that surrounds him, Allen plays a seriously defective mind. Yet his portrayal works in a Dumb and Dumber way, although, to be sure, there are some glimpses of the old Woody in the opening scenes. When he unlocks the door to his home, Ullman calls out to ask who’s there, to which Allen replies, ”What do you mean, ‘Who is it?’ It‘s the Pope -- I’ve always wanted to see your apartment!“ But after a while, Ullman and the others in the ensemble assert themselves, and, for once, it seems that Allen has struck a balance between self-indulgence and generosity -- and, perhaps, between his past and present.
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