Melinda and Melinda

[Sigur509]

It opened in New York City and Los Angeles the 18th.


Anyone know when it will get a wider release?

[Jon Lyrik]

I'd give it another week or two before it reaches Dallas/Fort Worth.

[Sigur509]

Damn, I cant wait much longer.

[RobertPaulson]

I'm catching a screening of this tonight - really looking forward to it

[EDsoulsurvive*]

I think this movie looks really original and intriguing. I love Will Ferrell and Amanda Peet, so I'm especially looking forward to seeing the comedy storyline. I also love hearing the same lines delivered so differently in the each storyline in the preview. I think it's really clever and I can't wait to see what Woody Allen has in store for us, although I hated Anything Else (3/10). Plus I've read a bunch of articles about how great Rhada Mitchell is, I'm expecting a good film. I'll let you guys know what I though either tonight or tomorrow; I'm seeing it in a few hours.

[Fisting Ackbar]

I'm hardly familiar with Allen's work (only seen 2 of his films) but this sounds pretty good. Doubt I'll get to see it in theaters but I'll see it at some point.

[bob]

It opens at one of my local "art" theatres on April 1st, and I'd never thought I'd say this, but it's my....second most anticipated release on that day.

All the reviews have been sparkling, and it sounds like a terrific story with some very "Hannah and Her Sisters"/"Crimes and Misdemeanors"/"Mighty Aphrodite" overtones. Great cast also.

[blankpage]

It's Woody Allen.

I am SO there.

[Tayzlor]

Originally posted by blankpage
It's Woody Allen.

I am SO there.

What else can I say?

Hopefully it will come here.

[Browntown]

Review: Melinda and Melinda
http://www.browntownjohnny.com/index.php



Woody Allen is an icon for film geeks of all ages, but his films have had a lapse in talent for some 10 years now. His last best work was "Sweet and Lowdown", a Sean Penn starred tribute to 30's jazz and trouble people (very funny and poignant). Since then he churned out shit on a stick. "Melinda and Melinda" is his latest and Woody is right on target in creating what he does best, a "New York" movie (Manhattan-Annie Hall-Radio Days). A split personality flick that explains why Woody did shift his talent from comedy to drama and back. 'Melinda' is a simple story of two playwrights at dinner that are given a storyline to ponder, is the story tragedy or comedy....they start to tell the same story from different viewpoints. A woman named Melinda (Radha Mitchell looks like Mia Farrow) shows up at a dinner party...bam....two stories about the same woman. The stories are similar but with different people and results.

In the comic tale, Will Ferrell is a hack actor ("I did King Lear, with a limp") married to Amanda Peet, a director. When Melinda comes to their doorstep, he falls madly in love. In the tragic story, Melinda is welcomed by her college friends (Chloe Sevigny from the oral classic 'Brown Bunny') only to bring along her horrible past. I liked both stories because they were so different, not focusing on Melinda but the others who revolve around her. The writing is pure Woody Allen (Ferrell is filling in for The Woodster and damn good at it) complete with grand camerawork by legend Vilmos Zsigmond getting New York from the rich side (Park Ave). Woody Allen is a great writer and his direction is superb. It is also Will Ferrell's best performance (he even bring Steve Carell along from 'Anchorman') and Sevigny is just so damn sexxy. Enjoy the Woodster for what he is.....a New York icon.

[moviegroupie]

my brother saw this one in new york . lucky bastard . he said it was good . i wanna see it but its playing too far away :(

[PuggyD]

Just saw this. I liked it, but both stories lacked structure. The characters were interesting, but they ended up not doing much and then the endings of each segment and the movie as a whole were really anticlimactic. Pretty good overall, though.

[scottish-movie-freak]

SPOILERS

I pretty much agree with all the reviews I've read for Melinda. It's not Allens best but it's a helluva lot better than Hollywood Ending and Anything Else. What really surprised me about it was Will Ferrell. I thought he would have just done a lame Woody impression but he was rather excellent as Hobie, he was truly hilarious in his scenes and struck the right notes with the audience, mustering up enough sympathy for his character. But on the flipside, Rhada Mitchell was a bit weak as the title role- she convinces in neither drama nor comedy but I will say that her accent was flawless. Speaking of flipside, the comedy half was a lot more successful than the drama. Melinda was meant to have shot her husband? Oh please, Mitchell looked like she could barely hold someones hand, let alone a gun. I just couldn't take it seriously which is a shame as the drama section had the better actors (Chloe Sevigny, Chiwetel Ejiofor etc) and the potential to be something special. But it really picks up with the comedy, Ferrells performance aside, it's just much more interesting.

7/10

[bob]

7/10


Not bad, but by Woody's standards, this is barely passing. Will Ferrell and Chiwetel ______ were both very, very good, but the plot just isn't interesting. The film doesn't use the comic/tragic theme to make a point, it's just a gimmick. As a result, you spend a lot of time on the annoying tragic plot, not enough on the actually interesting comic plot, and you feel completely shortchanged. But I'm still giving it a provisional B- because it's Woody, and watching a Woody Allen movie is just so much fun.

[Watur2Phunk]

I just saw it and it was just GOOD. Not great, not OK but good. strong 7/10.