02/06/06 Melinda And Melinda

Melinda And Melinda (2004), directed by Woody Allen

watched w/ Leslie (partially); DVD rental (Record Exchange) @ home

Woody Allen films always tend to pull me in two directions. On one hand, it's never much of anything fresh; being that it's always a story of love & relationships set amongst the New York landscape, with main characters' puppetry of Allen's own insecurities. On the other hand, the similar storylines always seem to be played out in unique ways, witty dialogue (occasionally), and there's always solid famous actors across the board. This one lands right in the middle, with some offbeat performances from people like Will Ferrell. I like the basis of the entire story being told over dinner, and running asymmetrical routes in parallel universes of both comedy and tragedy. Who's to say that either story works more effectively, and it furthermore proves that neither can exist without the other. It's relevant in the art of Allen totally; in films he's creative and well-received, while in reality he's that creepy older guy who you don't want to be around. It's a shame that art often has to hang in that balance.

3 out of 5 stars