Barney’s Version

Movie: Barney’s Version

Cast:    Paul Giamatti              (Barney Panofsky)

            Rachelle Lefevre        (Clara - the 1st Mrs. Panofsky)

Minnie Driver             (The 2nd Mrs. Panofsky)

            Rosamund Pike          (Miriam)

            Dustin Hoffman          (Izzy Panofsky)

Scott Speedman         (Boogie)

            Mark Addy                (Detective O’Hearne)

Genre: drama, comedy

Synopsis: At 65 years of age, Barney Panofsky is not a particularly likeable fellow.  The film consists of Barney’s flashbacks on his life from his twenties to the present day. Along the way he had two unhappy and brief marriages.  At his second wedding, he sees Miriam and instantly falls in love with her – for the rest of his life.  We follow his pursuit of her, his conquest, and their relationship over the rest of his life.

A side story is the mystery of what happened to his best friend, Boogie.  During Barney’s second marriage, Boogie disappeared when the two were drunk on the dock of Barney’s lake house.  For the rest of Barney’s life, detective O’Hearne is obsessed with proving the Barney murdered Boogie.

My two cents: A really good movie.  A lot of laughs (which I expected) – but also a few tears (which caught me by surprise).  Paul Giamatti played a great part.  Dustin Hoffman was funny as his father.  But I thought the best acting job was turned in by Rosamund Pike.  She was so beautiful and serene as Miriam.  Nothing (well, almost nothing) rattled her during her 20+ year marriage to Barney.  I know a lot of this can be chalked up to good writing, but there was just something about the way that the actress captured the character that I really loved.

Bottom line: most definitely worth seeing.

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