Melinda And Melinda

[MacGuffin]

Trailer here.

Release Date: March 18th, 2005

Cast: Radha Mitchell (Melinda), Will Ferrell (Hobie), Chlok Sevigny (Laurel), Chiwetel Ejiofor (Ellis), Josh Brolin (Greg), Jonny Lee Miller (Lee), Wallace Shawn (Sy), Larry Pine (Max), Matt Servitto (Jack), Arija Bareikis (Sally), Brooke Smith (Cassie), Zak Orth (Peter), Andy Borowitz (Doug), Amanda Peet (Susan), Shalom Harlow (Joan), David Aaron Baker (Steve), Christina Kirk (Jennifer), Steve Carell (Walt), Daniel Sunjata (Billy), Vinessa Shaw (Stacey)

Director: Woody Allen

Screenwriter: Woody Allen

Premise: A discussion between friends over coffee about the nature of comedy and drama leads to the story of a woman named Melinda, whose life is in turmoil. From there, the two playwrights at the table spin different stories of where Melinda's life might go, to the comic in one and the tragic in the other.

[ono]

I'm running out of obsequious banter.  Please help me.  

(Cast looks great.  Please let this live up to the nonexistent hype -- shouldn't be too hard.)

[matt35mm]

What do you mean nonexistent hype?  This is being hyped as the best Woody Allen movie since, y'know, since his good movies.

Plus that premise outlined up there is fascinating and a great idea for a movie.  Ssssshould be good.

[ono]

The premise actually struck me as slightly unoriginal, but it's all in the execution.  That's why I view it a lack of hype.  I'm rooting for this one.  The execution looks fine from the trailer, but really, trailers are lying bitches.

Sidenote: I LOVE that Allen cast Wallace Shawn.  That is genius for many reasons.  Well, maybe just one big reason.

[pete]

woody's been doing movie within a movie for a while now hasn't he?

[Alethia]

sorta kinda similar to broadway danny rose, only they weren't sittin around making his story up.

[grand theft sparrow]

This is being hyped as the best Woody Allen movie since, y'know, since his good movies.

But ALL of his movies are hyped as his best since his good movies.  IMHO, the only ones that stood up to that hype are Deconstructing Harry and Sweet and Lowdown.  The rest vary between cute (Small Time Crooks) and borderline terrible (Hollywood Ending, Curse of the Jade Scorpion).  

But I believe that Woody will achieve greatness once again and I fall for the hype every time.  I'll be seeing this despite Amanda Peet being in the cast.

sorta kinda similar to broadway danny rose, only they weren't sittin around making his story up.

That's what I thought too.  Broadway Danny Rose by way of the artist's circle in Bullets over Broadway.

[soixante]

Woody Allen has made more comebacks than anyone I can think of.  Just when I wrote him off in the 80's, he does Hannah and Her Sisters, one of his best.  In the early 90's, after the awful Shadows and Fog, he did the great Husbands and Wives.  OK, now he's overdue for another comeback.  I hope this is it.  If not, there's always his 2006 release to check out.

I didn't care for Small Time Crooks or Hollywood Ending, but I sort of liked Anything Else.  The last one I really liked was Celebrity.

But despite all the recent disappointments, he is still Woody Allen, living legend, so I'll check out anything he does.

[©brad]

i'm praying that this will be great. seriously, i just prayed.

[modage]

hollywood ending was the wrost of the recent ones.

my vote goes to Anything Else.  i will see M&M though although it doesnt look like this will be his 'comeback' film, you never know...

[Myxo]

i'm praying that this will be great. seriously, i just prayed.

The last time I prayed like this was shortly before Matrix Revolutions came out. I was pissed.

[El Duderino]

i find myself very attracted to Radha Mitchell

[classical gas]

the premise and parts of the trailer remind me of 'curb your enthusiasm', in the whole tragic or comic view of the same story.  and to think, i had almost given up on woody.

[cine]

i had almost given up on woody.

story of your life  

[classical gas]

yeah, i set myself up for that one.  i blame mr. allen.