Barney’s Version
Starring Paul Giamatti, Dustin Hoffman, and Rosamund Pike
Directed by Richard J. Lewis
Rated R for language and some sexual content
Appropriate for ages 17+
The biggest shock of the Golden Globes wasn’t the insulting remarks by host Ricky Gervais, but rather the moment when Paul Giamatti won the Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy. I don’t consider it a shock because he didn’t deserve it, but rather because this little film has gone completely unnoticed and this was the only nomination Giamatti even received for the film. So did he deserve it? Absolutely. This was easily one of the year’s greatest performances, and worthy of much more praise than it is receiving.
Barney’s Version follows Giamatti as Barney, an uber-blunt soap producer whose life’s journey is captured in two hours. From his first wife to his second and onto the true love of his life, Barney, as a character, seems too over-the-top, but yet his story is so interesting that you can’t help but sit back and enjoy the ride.
Giving his best performance in perhaps over twenty years is Dustin Hoffman, who masterfully plays Barney’s father. I find it even more sad that Hoffman was left off of the ballots this year for this stellar performance that is both touching and hilarious. The rest of the cast, and especially Rosamund Pike as Barney’s third wife and Minnie Driver as his second, turn in impressive performances as well.
While the acting here is certainly top notch, the screenplay by B-movie writer Michael Konyves allows for such tremendous performances to take place. The rest of the production is strong also including the Oscar-nominated make-up job by Adrien Morot who does an impressive job of aging Giamatti and Pike into their senior years.
I believe that the chief reason this film is getting overlooked is that while the cast is huge and it is highly enjoyable, it is still considered an indie with a limited audience. There could have been some huge buzz built up on this film and it might have had a nice box office return as well if someone at Sony Pictures Classics would have had faith in it as a potential earner. But regardless of how much it earns, the movie comes across as a real gem and a very entertaining way to spend a couple of hours. A
<BR>Rated PG-13 for some fantasy violence and risque humor<BR>Appropriate for ages 13+<BR></FONT></STRONG><BR><FONT size=3><STRONG>The Story:</STRONG> This adult fairy tale by author Neil Gaiman follows a young man named Tristan (Cox) that tries to win the heart of the girl of his limited dreams by hunting down a fallen star. The star, however has transformed into a beautiful girl named Yvaine (Daines). Tristan finds the star only to discover that an evil witch (Pfeiffer) and a bloodthirsty prince are also close on her heals. <BR><BR><STRONG>The Good:</STRONG> This film excels in the arena of creativity and storytelling. While it follows the typical fairy tale pathway, the details of the journey are unexpected. I will warn that the tale has a dark side, but no darker than those told by the Brothers Grimm. And the story is not only magical, but very funny as well. De Niro’s turn as a cross-dressing pirate, for example, steals every scene he appears in. Even the ghosts of the prince’s dead brothers add a dark element of comedy relief. <BR><BR><STRONG>The Bad:</STRONG> I wish that this film had the budget to pull off the special effects that it desperately needed. They really tried to make them work, but the movie really does scream out “cheap fx.” What the pic lacks in stunning visuals, however, it more than makes up for in imagination. <BR><BR><STRONG>The Summary:</STRONG> We finally have a <EM>Princess Bride</EM> for a new generation. </FONT></FONT></DIV></p>
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