MELINDA AND MELINDA

US, 2004, 100 minutes, Colour.
Chiwetel Ejiofor, Will Ferrell, Jonny Lee Miller, Radha Mitchell, Amanda Peet, Chloe Sevigny, Wallace Shawn, Josh Brolin, Steve Carell, Larry Pine, Vinessa Shaw.
Directed by Woody Allen.

Woody Allen has fallen on hard critical times in the early 2000s, some of his films (Hollywood Ending) barely getting a cinema release. He is criticised for being too narrow in his focus, affluent articulate New Yorkers suffering from angst, and for his wit seeming to dry up. Certainly, his films of the last five years or so do not make the impact that earlier films did.

Best to say that Melinda and Melinda is about average. As always, he is served by a strong cast. As always, there is a neurotic Woody Allen or Woody Allen substitute – this time it is Will Ferrell who does a pretty good Allen impersonation (except that he is twice the size of Woody). As always, there are conversations peppered with oneliners about the woes of the human condition.

The concept is this. Four people sit in a restaurant, a writer of serious drama and a writer of comedies. They discuss what it is that makes tragedy tragic and comedy comic. And it is all illustrated by a character called Melinda who appears in two stories with variations on the same situations. In one she is depressed. In the other she is lighthearted. She comes to New York and stays with friends. Their marriages are in trouble. She falls in love. They all have to sort things out. Which is funny? Which is tragic?

This is not the most profound of Woody Allen’s films. The characters’ lives exist on a fairly superficial level. What carries the film through are the performances rather than the dialogue. Radha Mitchell does very well as Melinda and Melinda. Others in the cast include Amanda Peet, Chloe Sevigny, Jonny Lee Miller and Chiwitel Ejiofor.

We will just have to wait for his next film. (He did have success with Match Point.)

1. The reputation of Woody Allen, for comedy, drama, tragedy? His continued look at the New York world? The dialogue, the one-liners, the wit – sparkle or not?

2. The New York settings, the two worlds of Melinda? The media world, cinema, the theatre? The social worlds? The different lifestyles? The usual Woody Allen score and its evocation of New York?

3. The framework of the film: the restaurant, the friends, the meal, table talk, the distinction between the comic and the tragic, the treatment of human foibles, the perspective of humour and sadness? The characters at the table, sincere ideas – with the touch of pretension? Their creating the Melinda stories, the characters, the parallels? The humorous abrupt ending?

4. Radha Mitchell as the two Melindas, her differing performances, appearance, style? Her skill at being comic, tragic? Funny or not? The parallels with the two sets and settings? The marriages, careers, betrayal, break-up of relationships, ambitions, attempted suicides, failure? Themes of life and death in each segment, moods, hope and despair?

5. The tragic Melinda, the filling in of her background story, her two friends from school, the marriage and its disaster, her betrayal and affair, the divorce, the loss of the child, her breakdown, suicidal? Her not responding to the invitation of Laurel and Lee? Her sudden arrival during the meal? Laurel and Lee having to cope, their discussions about whether she was welcome or not? About her problems? The guests and their reaction? Her staying, talk, fitting in or not? With Laurel, the sharing of the past? With Lee, learning of his affair? The play and its possibilities? Her going out, Laurel supporting her, the lunches with her friends? The interviews, the museum and her hopes? The party, seeing Ellis and his playing the piano? Trying to cheer up Laurel, taking her to dinner, the irony of Ellis and Laurel falling in love, having the affair? Her discovery of the truth? Her suicidal reaction? Sense of failure, tragedy?

6. The characters of Laurel and Lee, Laurel’s background, rich, marrying Lee, his dependence on her? The meal and their response to Melinda, Lee and his hopes, the part, classes, coaching the actress, the affair? The tensions between the two? Ellis and Laurel attracted to him, the affair, her changing?

7. The school friend, her marriage, the advice to Melinda, to Laurel, their meals, talking?

8. Ellis, the piano player, charm, the attraction towards Melinda, supporting Laurel, sharing, the revelation of their affair and its consequences?

9. The comic Melinda, bright, her arrival, downstairs apartment, the overdose, wanting Susan and Hobie to help her? The film world, Susan as director, Hobie as an actor longing for a part? Their shared experiences, going out, the parties, the friendship with Hobie and his friend, going to the races, the excitement? The bond between the two? The meal, and Hobie not able to say that he loved Melinda? His being upset, her relationship with the man, Hobie listening outside and catching his dressing gown? The revelation of the truth? The encounter with Stacy, her being beautiful – and suicidal? Hobie trying to handle the situation, relying on Melinda? The happy ending for her?

10. Susan, the marriage, cinema director, strong minded? The relationship with Hobie? The man with the funds, the party, the discussion about the film-making, Hobie’s supporting her? The affair and her being caught? Hobie and his relief?

11. Will Ferrell as Hobie, the Woody Allen dialogue and type, in himself (and the contrast with size and height)? The marriage, his being at home, supporting Susan, his hopes for the part, their discussions about casting, his having to be rejected because he was not a name? His continually being infatuated by Melinda, with her, his friend and himself talking her to the races, his being tentative, too hesitant? Outside her room, catching his dressing gown? His fantasies about her? Stacy, the performance, the almost-suicide? His finally saying that he loved Melinda?

12. The man with the funding, the relationship with Susan? Stacy, the prima donna style?

13. The humour of the conceit, how the two stories were played out, interconnected? Each illuminating the other or not? The film as slight – how much depth?