"Barney's Version"
Paul Giamatti is an A list character actor. He has appeared in such films as Planet of the Apes, Sideways, Cinderella Man, The Illusionist, and the HBO miniseries John Adams in which he played the title role. Giamatti has an incredible range which is why he is able to play both supporting and lead character roles. Barney's Version is one of the latest from him in which he plays the lead role.
Barney Panofsky is a Canadian soap opera producer who is grouchy, touchy, passionate, and unpredictable. Oh yeah, he drinks and smokes incessantly too. This is the story of his life. We go back in forth between the past and present as Barney remembers the relationships he had with his three ex-wives (Rachelle Lefvre, Minnie Driver, and Rosamund Pike) and the kinship he had with his father (Dustin Hoffman.)
The film has a number of good scenes. The ones with Hoffman are best. After five decades of working in the biz he still makes acting look so simple and effortless. Other choice scenes are with Pike who plays Barney's third wife, Miriam. She's the one he stayed married to the longest and cared for most of all. Giamatti, Hoffman, and Pike all feel like they are on a level playing field when their scenes are on screen.
Giamatti clearly out shines some of the other actors though, especially Ms. Driver. She plays his second wife, who is listed as The Second Mrs. P. Her relationship with Barney does take up a chunk of time and this is where the film begins to drag on for a bit. Because this is Barney's version of his life, Driver's character comes off as whiny, unpleasant, and annoying. The problem here is her performance comes off as all of these characteristics too. A word of advice to Ms. Driver the next time she attempts an American accent, don't.
Barney too has plenty of unlikable qualities. However Giamatti is able to gain a certain degree of sympathy from us because he is believable and authentic in his acting. Barney wants certain aspects of life to be over and done with. He desperately wants to be with Miriam who he believes is his soul mate. Somehow Barney manages to take her hand in marriage hoping she will fill the void in his life. Third time's the charm right? Unfortunately alcohol is Barney's mistress and the life he yearned so dearly for with Miriam is squandered away.
The film is stable enough for the first two acts. The third act though is not as strong as it could have been. It introduces a new aspect of deterioration to Barney's already impaired mental state. The screenplay loses focus on its characters. It begins to pull at our heartstrings which may seem great when we're caught up in the moment of what's happening on screen but in retrospect those feelings are a cheap substitute for what we actually should be feeling towards Barney's character. There are moments when we want to be the shoulder for Barney to cry on but his character makes it so difficult at times.
Many character actors stay in supporting roles and rarely become household names. Giamatti is a great contradiction to this. He is always watchable even if the material that surrounds him is weak. Fortunately Barney's Version showcases his talents even if the screenplay and certain flimsy supporting talent aren't up to par at times.
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