Plot
A loser of a crook and his wife strike it rich when a botched bank job's cover business becomes a spectacular success.

Release Year: 2000

Rating: 6.5/10 (18,810 voted)

Critic's Score: 69/100

Director: Woody Allen

Stars: Woody Allen, Tracey Ullman, Hugh Grant

Storyline
Dishwasher and small-fry criminal Ray hits on a plan with his partners in crime to re-open a local pizza place and dig through to the bank down the street. As his wife can't cook pizza but does great cookies, that's what they sell. While the no-hope tunnellers get lost underground, the cookie operation really takes off and the team find themselves rich business people. But the other local money isn't quite ready to accept them.

Cast:
Woody Allen - Ray
Carolyn Saxon - Candy Salesperson
Tracey Ullman - Frenchy
Michael Rapaport - Denny
Tony Darrow - Tommy
Sam Josepher - Real Estate Agent
Jon Lovitz - Benny
Lawrence Howard Levy - Dynamite Dealer (as Lawrence Levy)
Diane Bradley - Cookie Store Customer
Crystal Field - Cookie Store Customer
Cindy Carver - Cookie Store Customer
Ray Garvey - Cookie Store Customer
Bill Gerber - Cookie Store Customer
Olivia Hayman - Cookie Store Customer
Laurine Towler - Cookie Store Customer

Taglines: They took a bite out of crime.

Release Date: 19 May 2000

Filming Locations: Mott Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office Details

Budget: $18,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend: $3,880,723 (USA) (21 May 2000) (865 Screens)

Gross: $17,071,230 (USA) (6 August 2000)

Runtime: 94 min

Trivia:
This was Woody Allen's first movie in a deal of five with DreamWorks Pictures.

Goofs:
Continuity: Tony Darrow's character is referred to alternately as Tommy Walker and Tommy Beal.

Quotes:
Frenchy: Well I wanna be the real thing! and you better wise up coz if grow and you stay as stupid as you are we're gonna have big problems Ray!

Ullman Matches Allen

Rating: 9/10

I doubt if many people share this sentiment, but this is my favorite Woody Allen movie simply because it does what Allen usually sets out to do: makes me laugh. I'm not a big fan of Allen's films but he and Tracey Ullman make a great pair in this 95-minute farce. Ullman has to be one of the most talented ladies to never achieve real movie stardom. She matches Allen laugh-for-laugh in here and, in some respects, even steals the show.

Other than Allen's penchant for using the Lord's name in vain, this has a real classic-film feel to it, one of those old bickering spouse films but with more modern-day humor. Allen and Ullman trade some very funny insults, and there are many of these quality gags. Ullman is just plain hilarious as the bimbo-like "Frenchy."

Add a gigolo (Hugh Grant), a couple of inept crooks, a couple of old-time Elaine favorites, Strich and May, and a pretty funny premise and you have some good entertainment and an underrated Allen film.

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