I'll say this right upfront, I'm not really a Woody Allen fan. I like his earlier movies where he was simply funny and not trying to figure out the meaning of life or display the ennui of rich Manhattanites. I find those films incredibly ponderous and self-indulgent. But stuff like 'Play it Again Sam' (even though it has the equally whiny Diane Keaton), or 'Take the Money and Run' were his best films.

This film is a return to simple funny. One thing that happened while watching this movie: about 20 minutes into the movie I felt something about this movie was strange, but I couldn't figure out what. Then it hit me: no swearing. I can't remember the last time I saw a movie directed at adults that didn't have swearing. I'm not against swearing in movies by any means, but I have to say, I found it really refreshing. The script was forced to find the funny for real, rather on shock value. Needless to say, it also thankfully doesn't have any of the gross-out humour that passes for comedy in most films these days either. In the hands of most writers, it's not about pushing boundaries, but simply revealing the lack of genuine talent.

Although Ullman does a very good job, and Allen is at his comedic best, Elaine May really shines through in her role and is the one that makes me smile the most. It's a shame that she doesn't get, or take, more roles.

Woody Allen and Tracey Ullman play a husband and wife team in Small Time Crooks who hit the big time, but purely by accident. Allen who is as the title says, a small time crook who has done small time in the joint and has collected a gang of misfits just like him. Probably he saw the famous Edward G. Robinson classic Larceny, Inc. where Robinson and his associates buy a luggage store because of its location next to a bank where the plan is to tunnel from the store basement into the bank and rob it. Naturally Allen claims this as his original scheme.

But to do that Allen has to have a business and that's where his bimbo of a wife Tracey Ullman comes in. She has one talent, she bakes some really out of this world cookies, cookies that Famous Amos would envy. They catch on and even when a cop catches Allen and his crew breaking into the bank he wants in on the business, the cookie business.

But these rather unsophisticated Small Time Crooks who are all of a sudden fabulously wealthy find that it doesn't wear well on them. Both Allen and Ullman become targets of all kinds of big time crooks. Ullman has this lizard of an art dealer/gigolo played by Hugh Grant putting the moves on her. As she is the one with the recipe for the cookies, the money is all in her name. Woody in the meantime finds a sympathetic ear in Elaine May.

As Small Time Crooks was getting started I thought I was watching a remake of Larceny, Inc. I thought I was watching a remake. But Woody Allen took it way beyond what Warner Brothers had in mind for that 1942 film. He and Ullman are a perfectly matched pair and in a weird way they show that money might buy happiness, but happiness means different things to different people.

It's not Allen's best effort, but Small Time Crooks will definitely find an audience. It sure did with me.

I would have never expected a movie like "Small Time Crooks", but one would have to imagine that it could only come from Woody Allen. He plays loser Ray Winkler, who plans to pull off a big heist. But of course, he needs a cover. So, his wife Frenchy (Tracey Ullman) opens a cookie shop above the tunnel that Ray is digging, and lo and behold, the cookie shop is a smash hit, and they never pull off the heist! A year later, Ray and Frenchy are fabulously wealthy, to the point where "60 Minutes" reporter Steve Krofft interviews them. But this all starts exposing the problems in their lives. Maybe crime would have paid after all! Above all, this movie shows that Woody Allen does best when just going for straight comedy. I would say that this was his funniest movie since "Mighty Aphrodite". Also starring are Elaine May, Jon Lovitz and Hugh Grant. You're sure to like it.