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Melinda And Melinda
2004
Woody Allen mixes the tragic with the comic in MELINDA AND MELINDA, a delightful, intelligent look at two versions of the same story. After hearing a tale about a quirky woman who walks in unexpectedly on a dinner party in an apartment in New York City, Sy (Wallace Shawn) expands it into a romantic comedy, while Max (Larry Pine).. Read more
| Starring | Chiwetel Ejiofor, Will Ferrell, Jonny Lee Miller, Radha Mitchell |
|---|---|
| Director | Woody Allen |
| Genres | Comedy, Romance |
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Melinda And Melinda
Woody Allen mixes the tragic with the comic in MELINDA AND MELINDA, a delightful, intelligent look at two versions of the same story. After hearing a tale about a quirky woman who walks in unexpectedly on a dinner party in an apartment in New York City, Sy (Wallace Shawn) expands it into a romantic comedy, while Max (Larry Pine) turns it into an urban tragedy. Allen intercuts between the two retellings, intermingling cause and effect, love and romance, failure and success, as Melinda creates havoc in both fictional worlds. Each story has its own cast: the comedy features Will Ferrell, Amanda Peet, and Josh Brolin; the tragedy stars Chloe Sevigny, Jonny Lee Miller, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Radha Mitchell is the only repeat actor, playing both Melindas, and she does a tremendous job. Interestingly, the comic section is not a straight laughfest, like Allen's SLEEPERS, ANNIE HALL, or BULLETS OVER BROADWAY, and the more serious part is not nearly as dour as INTERIORS or ANOTHER WOMAN. Instead, Allen, who has been criticized by critics and fans alike for not making more funny films, has created two parallel universes that each combines aspects of comedy and tragedy, resulting in a wonderful, insightful drama.
| Starring | Chiwetel Ejiofor, Will Ferrell, Jonny Lee Miller, Radha Mitchell, Amanda Peet, Chloe Sevigny, Wallace Shawn, Steve Carell |
|---|---|
| Director | Woody Allen |
| Studio | 20TH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 35 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Comedy, Romance |
| Language | English |
| Released | DVD: 25 Jul 2005 Production year: 2004 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (4)
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Woody Allen’s umpteenth return to form, at least on the surface, looks like classic Woody. Opening in an affluent restaurant in uptown New York, a group of wealthy filmmakers ... read more »
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Most helpful member's review
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20 out of 24 people found this review helpful
Still the same old story...
They're rich, live in the best spots of Manhattan, go to nice restaurants and drink good wine on a regular basis, yet they manage to carry a bagfull of neurosis, phobias, suicidal tendencies and complexes.
It's Woody, once again, recycling himself.
If his intent was to balance a comical story with a tragical one, he's done it way better in Crimes and Misdemeanors. This one lacks that same bittersweet touch.
You've seen it all before. With the difference that there was a time in which you still laughed about the seductress that ends up to be a nutter or the husband that falls in love with the next door neighbour and so generates a series of would be laughable gags.
There was once a filmaker who managed to reinvent himself in each movie. I'm talking about the guy who made Zelig, Annie Hall and The Purple Rose of Cairo.
The author of Melinda and Melinda just looks like a pale imitation of the Woody from those days. -
Most recent members' review
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Neither, nor...
Good setup when you think about it - show the same basic story from two points of view; tragic and comedy. However, the basic flaw to Woody Allens experiment is that the comedy isn't all that funny and the tragedy isn't very, well, tragic. Sure there's typical Allen-esque wit on hand ('beautiful dentist is and oxymoron' being one of the good few) but most of the time it feels like it's Allen trying to be how he was before and it just doesn't work.
All in all the film was watchable and certainly didn't feel boring. Maybe it's just me but i expected something more. I wanted to end the film laughing and crying at the same time - a promise it never even looked to fulfill. Rent it, send it back and forget it a week later. -
News and features
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Melinda And Melinda released on DVD
- 25 Jul 2005
Woody Allen's Melinda And Melinda, an exploration of the tragic and comic nature of humanity, comes to DVD this week. The director of Deconstructing Harry, Mighty Aphrodite and Bullets Over Broadway seems to have scored another success with his intriguing take on life. The film stars Radha Mitchell, the former Neighbours actress whose career is starting to blossom after roles in Phone Booth, Man On Fire and Finding Neverland. Mitchell plays the role of Melinda, as the film alternates between... Read more
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Woody Allen mixes the tragic with the comic in MELINDA AND MELINDA, a delightful, intelligent look at two versions of the same story. After hearing a tale about a quirky woman who walks in ... -