Actor Paul Giamatti has proven that he is a master at invoking our sympathy for his crusty-exteriored, inner heart of gold characters. Giamatti’s latest film, Barney’s Version, which opened last week at The Grand, is another perfect example of this.
Richard J. Lewis–known almost exclusively for his television series “CSI”–directs this often trite but ultimately touching tale of the irascible, impetuous and obsessive Barney Panofsky (Giamatti), while Dustin Hoffman provides a delightful performance as Barney’s well-meaning but outspoken father, Izzy Panofsky.
Barney has bad luck with women: after a tumultuous first marriage, Barney is lucky enough to find the girl of his dreams–at his second wedding. His potential true love Miriam (Rosamund Pike) is, unfortunately, not the bride. This chance meeting begins a life-long obsession, one which often comes across as creepy to the viewer.
However, Barney’s continued devotion to Miriam indicates that for him, she truly is “the one,” a fact which manages to win the audience over (for the most part) by the end.
Adapted from Mordecai Richler’s novel by the same name, Barney’s Version is hard to classify. Much of the film revolves around an unsolved murder, but as the story progresses, this feels like an afterthought. Although the first half feels like a slightly ‘off’ romantic comedy, the last half of the film is distinctly depressing.
The first half is full of cliches (including truly one-dimensional portrayals of Barney’s friends) that it is obnoxious. Barney’s brief courtship and marriage with his wife Solange (Macha Grenon) is one of the most cringe-inducing onscreen relationships I have seen in a while. It is also the only section of the movie that could possibly have earned it the label of a comedy, for the rest of the movie is certainly tragic.
Despite a shaky beginning, the second half of the film leaves you wondering when you became so invested.
Barney is gruff–a cigar smoking, heavy drinking man with a withering glance and an even more cutting tongue. There is, frankly, nothing to like about him.
However, flashback glimpses fill in his semi-tragic history, and Giamatti manages to not only endear Barney to us, but to make him a truly sympathetic character (Giamatti’s portryal of Barney won him a Golden Globe for Best Actor).
Although it takes the better part of the film for us to feel anything for Barney, by the time Giamatti gets us there, it is truly touching. The only real constant in Barney’s Version is the excellence that both Giamatti and Pike bring to their roles, but this factor alone makes it worth seeing.