Phonearl
Good start, but then it gets ruined
Quiet Muffin
This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.
Cassandra
Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.
oOoBarracuda
I'm a huge Woody Allen fan and try to make a case for all of his films, and usually, find that quite simple to do; I've met my match with You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger. The story of the dissolution of two marriages and the rediscovery one makes of their life after finding themselves divorced and single is one that should have been fine in the hands of Woody Allen. It's far from the uncharted territory for him, but few things about You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger worked. The casting was way off, despite the collective talent, no one seemed to be a match given the motivation of their character. There was very little of the philosophical probing I have come to expect from a Woody Allen film. The entire film was narrated, which again, is something not new to Woody Allen- -but this time it didn't work. I'm thankful for Woody's foray out of America because, without it, we wouldn't have Match Point. I must admit, when Woody's main character, New York, is absent I always miss it. The films of his shot in New York come off much more competently than his films shot elsewhere. Maybe it's just how much Woody loves the city of New York, or simply that I have come to expect that backdrop in a Woody Allen film, I'm not sure, but I certainly miss the city when it's not in one of his films. What I can say about a Woody Allen film that is unique to them; even when I find myself on an outing with Woody where I'm not enjoying the company, I have never wanted to turn one of his films off. I don't feel that way about any other filmmaker, as I usually commit to the idea that life is too short to spend putting time into something you don't like.I'm almost done with his filmography, but Woody Allen has never made me want to turn one of his films off.
msdsc
This movie seamlessly portrays a lot of what is Woody Allen: His takes on relationships; his, seeming, fascination with how people can be taken in by the occult; his, usually sinister, plot twists – how his relationships usually devolve into negative territory; and the lack of real malice in – the innocence of – his characters.And, in this movie, the acting – and, presumably, the directing which precipitated it – is flawlessly executed. (Though, I must say that I was a little disappointed in Philip Glenister's performance. I don't think he could convincingly shed his usual visceral nature, to effect the required innocence of an Allen character.) Even though I wanted to, and expected to, not believe some of the characters – Josh Brolin, as Sally's husband, Roy, comes to mind – I wasn't able to do it. Woody's actually expanded his usual milieu by including two ingénues – Naomi Watts, as Sally, and Freida Pinto, as Dia – instead of the usual one. And, one could argue that there were two minor ones, as well: Lucy Punch, as Charmaine, and Anna Friel, as Iris. All were convincing, though Watts was particularly good – and, quite stunning. Gemma Jones, as the pathetic mother, Helena, stood out for a particularly brilliant performance.The juxtaposition of the different stages of relationships was also genius. There was the incipient, represented by the engagement of Dia and Alan (Neil Jackson); the mid-stream, represented by the marriage of Sally and Roy; and the past, represented by the broken marriage of Alfie (Anthony Hopkins) and Helena. And, Allen's casting was superb in the respect that they all looked exactly right for the parts – Hopkins, as the aging, nay, old, man with the mid- life crisis, is the apotheosis.The age disparity in the relationship between Alfie and Charmaine, and the inherent problems with that – e.g. Alfie needing to take Viagra to keep up with Charmaine – brought to mind Woody's actual situation in life with his much younger wife.My one qualm was the ending: I felt like more should have been resolved. However, Allen, like the Shakespeare he paraphrases at the beginning – "Life was full of sound and fury, and in the end signified nothing." – and mirrors at the end – "It's time to close the book on our little tale of sound and fury signifying nothing." – says that life just goes on.
A_Different_Drummer
I realize that his many fans feel Allen can do no wrong but this film stands as a mute rebuttal to that point of view.The low rating reflects not necessarily the production values (which are almost perfect even though the film is horrid) but the blow to "media ecology" that the planet must endure when an artiste WHO SHOULD KNOW BETTER wastes talent like it grew on trees.The "magic" here is that somehow Allen coaxed some of the best actors on the planet to give one of the worst performances of their lives.Don't know where to start. Brolin, he of the broad facial testosterone markers, plays a simpering wimp. Watts, who almost never looks lost in a role, acts like she would rather be somewhere else. Hopkins and Bandiaras are playing variants of role they have played many times before, which suggests that, if nothing else, you are better off watching those performances, not these.And the trademark Allen voice-over, an egoistic affectation if ever there was, serves the same role as the Surgeon General's warning on a pack of cigarettes.
SnoopyStyle
In London, Helena (Gemma Jones) goes to see fortune teller Cristal (Pauline Collins) after she is abandoned by her husband Alfie (Anthony Hopkins). He shocks everyone by announcing his engagement to the much younger Charmaine (Lucy Punch) after hiring her as a prostitute. The couple's daughter Sally (Naomi Watts) sacrificed her ambitions to support her husband Roy (Josh Brolin) who stopped publishing after a successful first book. He's interested in next door neighbor Dia (Freida Pinto) and finishes his second book. Sally falls for her art gallery boss Greg (Antonio Banderas).This is a cast of mostly great actors playing run-of-the-mill Woody Allen characters. The only bad performance comes from the wooden Freida Pinto. The story isn't anything special. It's reminiscent of other Woody Allen movies without exceeding them.
