Review of Barney's Version (2010) by Asif K — 31 May 2011

This seriocomic adaptation of Mordecai Richler's award-winning 1997 novel stars Paul Giamatti as Barney Panofsky, who meets the great love of his life, Miriam (Rosamund Pike), at the most inopportune time imaginable: his marriage to his second wife (Minnie Driver), a wealthy Jewish princess and compulsive shopper. Narrated by Barney as a confessional, the film covers 30 years of his unusual journey -- from his first marriage to the chronically unfaithful free spirit Clara (Rachelle Lefevre) and their life in Italy together, through his third marriage to Miriam, with whom he has two children. Standing in the wings is Barney's father, Izzy (Dustin Hoffman), who continues to stick by him as his loyal right-hand man. Through it all, Barney experiences numerous highs and lows, but manages to consistently surprise everyone with unforeseen acts of altruism and kindness that turn him into the quintessential modern hero.

Among all this yea's movies I have seen, this is the most surprisingly good. I wasn't expecting much from the movie. I found this movie surprisingly excellent move, starts off just okay but gets good evenly. this movie combines these genres comedy, drama and romance in such a way you fall in love with this movie. a very intelligent approach by the writers and directors of making this smartly witty and tragic movie at the same time. I hardly remember any recent character that effected me or I kind of observed deeply without forcing myself to than Barney. he is flawed but shockingly a bit of us in him if you see.

Movie is long could have been a bit shorter but still I wasn't bored or found myself forcing to see this movie. after a while I found it interesting and I was enjoying it than. this movie is one of the best movie of the year. a very affective indie dramedy that I loved. I already thought this would be my favorite January movie of the year, and it is.

Paul Giamatti is brilliant, superb, outstanding and just pure good as Barney Panofsky an angry hard drinking man. he marries the unfaithful Clara played by Rachelle Lefevre, then he marries Minnie Driver's character she is a rich daughter of some Jew rich man and yes she is a shop and again very annoying. but there is another thing, he meets the actual love of his life on the day he is marrying, weird but turth, she is Miriam Grant Panofsky, played by Rosamund Pike. movie also stars Dustin Hoffman, Scott Speedman , Bruce Greenwood , Macha Grenon , Anna Hopkins , Jake Hoffman , Mark Addy and others.

I honestly loved performances in this movie. Paul Giamatti according to me is a very underrated actor, he proved consistently how great he can perform. I loved him in this movie, he played Barney like he was him. thats superb. Dustin Hoffman is a scene stellar as his father, he performed good. Minnie and Rachelle were honestly just okay but it was Rosamund that severely shocked me with her brilliant screen presence and her beautiful and honest performance. she was awsome. superb performances.

Directed very good by Richard J. Lewis, written excellently. good screenplay with hardly any or much problems with it. edited well. superb cinematography, make up and art direction. good score too. plot is good and the events really well make you enjoy this movie. I felt really empathic for this very unlikable character. very emotional towards the end I just loved this movie.superb movie very good.