Enjoyable “tragi- comedy”. The film opens with a group of diners in a French restaurant, discussing the conundrum : Is the essence of life comic or tragic? Allen proceeds to provide the solution by unfolding two stories, one comic and one tragic. The plotlines focus on Melinda, a ditzy blonde in the former and a disturbed, flawed individual in the latter, both played with panache by Radha Mitchell. In both stories Melinda crashes a smart Manhatten Dinner party and causes suitable disruption to the lives of all the guests and Allen skilfully interweaves the two plots.
Woody Allen is back on form. His enjoyable 'tragi-comedy' revolves around exactly that conundrum - whether life is essentially tragic or comic. In attempting to provid... more >
Woody Allen is back on form. His enjoyable 'tragi-comedy' revolves around exactly that conundrum - whether life is essentially tragic or comic. In attempting to provide the solution, he proceeds to unfold two stories, both featuring a character called Melinda (and both are played with panache by Radha Mitchell). In both plots a bedraggled and woebegone Melinda crashes a smart Manhattan dinner party and causes disruption to the lives of all the guests. She's a disturbed woman who got bored with her midwestern doctor-husband and dumped him for a photographer, thereafter spiralling into a suicidal depression when her husband took the children away; she's a childless downstairs neighbour to the dinner hosts, ambitious indie filmmaker Susan and under-employed actor Hobie. Back and forth the stories go, contrasting the destinies of the two Melindas.
Unsurprisingly, this being an Allen film, the 'comedy' features tragic elements, including adultery and a suicide attempt, while his wit infuses the 'tragedy' with some striking one-liners ('Melinda had a reputation for being postmodern in bed'). Both narratives are highly entertaining, and if it is the tragic thread that seems to have the strongest impact, the sparkling comedy proves Allen has lost none of his brilliant wit. < less
