Review of You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010) by Akash S — 27 Feb 2013

Woody Allen comedy set in London telling us the story of a very particular family where the parents have split up and their daughter is having a difficult time with her husband, an author with writer's block. Slowly their weaknesses and fears will make them look for love and companionship in other people that are already in a relationship with someone else.

This is a typical Woody Allen film, it is not set in New York, but it is delightful all the same, the characters are believable and the situations are special but likely and extremely well interwoven giving us an insight into a deceivingly dysfunctional family. It is just a shame that the end is so open ended and inconclusive, it leaves us puzzled about the destiny of the characters and their love lives.

The whole relationship mess scenario is Allen through and through; infidelities, lies, hesitation and bad choices populate this movie; but rather than make it a drama, the director gives it a funny touch and you cannot stop but laughing at these apparently smart characters committing the most basic mistakes.

The film is brilliantly directed (amazing that Allen is already in his mid 70s) and acted with extreme likeliness by a committed cast, making this slightly twisted script a light watch, but it is lightness that masks an unusual depth of emotion.