Review of You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger (2010) by Caleb N — 13 Dec 2010

Woody Allen's latest, "You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger" does know what kind of movie it wants to be. The story darts in and out of comedy and drama and features a varied, talented cast (Anthony Hopkins, Naomi Watts, Josh Brolin, Antonio Banderas), but it never manages to get off the ground.

Hopkins stars as a London-based financier who experiences a midlife crisis, marrying a high-priced call girl (Lucy Punch) after dumping his aging wife (Gemma Jones). Spurned and devastated, his wife turns to a psychic for answers, who advises her to turn to a new age lifestyle.

Watts figures in as their daughter, trapped in a marriage to a one-hit wonder writer (Brolin) and falling for her flashy, wealthy boss (Banderas). Meanwhile, Brolin's writer has designs on a comely neighbor (Freida Pinto) and simmering jealousy over a friend's brilliant new manuscript.

There is a lot going on in "Stranger," and not all of it works. Interesting plot lines are abandoned, and much of the comedy carries a long set-up and minimal payoff. Some episodes hark back to the dark brilliance of earlier Allen, while the comedy has more in common with Allen's stiff recent offerings than with "Annie Hall.

" Still, when "Stranger" crackles, it's quite good - good enough to make you wish that Allen had taken time to craft something better.