It’s all been said before – Woody Allen’s best years are over, and his films (whilst always entertaining) will never come close to the greats like Annie Hall. His last two features didn’t even make it to the cinema here in Australia, and it’s possibly only because of the presence of Radha Mitchell that Melinda And Melinda does.
Radha Mitchell does a great job, and I’ve been waiting for her career to explode for many years now – maybe this will do the trick. Brooke Smith gives a particularly impressive performance, Chloë Sevigny was disappointingly bland in this film, and Amanda Peet appears with all her clothes on – which takes a while to get used to.
The dinner table conversation that ties the film together is kinda tacky – whilst the cast are enthusiastic it simply feels too contrived. And what exactly are the essential elements of the tale that set our two storytellers off on totally different tangents?
For me Allen’s best work could be seen in Manhatten and Mighty Aphrodite. Melinda And Melinda isn’t particularly memorable, but is solid viewing all the same.