Review of Barney's Version (2010) by Deanna C — 12 Mar 2011

If this is Barney's Version, then he needs a decent editor. What starts out being a fairly interesting yarn becomes weighed down by having too many elements crammed into it - a frequent problem with literary adaptations.

This may have been easier to take had Barney himself been more of a pleasure to be around, but as played by Paul Giamatti, who has literally made a career out of playing unlikeable characters, one can only wonder what anyone sees in him.

Supporting players are good, and there are moments of sharp wit, but sadly almost all these moments occur in the first half. The "resolution" of the crime strand of the story at film's end feels like an after thought, and is highly implausible, to say the least.