Review of Melinda and Melinda (2004) by Ursula H — 08 Jun 2009

I assume the premise of the movie came to Woody Allen because that's exactly the duality of how he sees the world: is human existence a comedy or a tragedy? He offers that there are both sides to every story in 'Melinda and Melinda.'.

Uncharacteristically, I am more taken with Woody's drama tale this time, with Radha Mitchell in excellent form as a deeply troubled former Park Avenue society wife now trying to get her anxiety-riddled life back on track. On the lighter half, Will Farrell comes off as a rather feeble Woody Allen substitute, filled with the same neuroses and stammerings that defined the director's onscreen image. But then Woody could not fill that role at the age of 70 in this context, so he was wise to seek another actor but the casting just didn't work. There are other problems with casting in one of Woody's lightest-weighted ensembles.

There are still some good laughs from a few sharp lines and some heart-tugging developments. Am very glad I watched it and worth a look particularly for Radha Mitchell's efforts in a double role, but there are many Woody films that you need to watch more urgently.