Barney's Version: Review By Zak Lee Ferguson

• Barneys Version is a film starring Paul Giamatti and Rosmunda Pike and Scott Speedman, centred on Barneys, life, around the separations of his three wives, and shown in a meticulous and smart flash back set up. Whether i have come up with this conclusion, but while pondering on the idea that Why do films go through time, not chronological, why not simple and straight, why see this as a method of being smart, articulate in a form of medium in cinema. But through running this film you see Barney to slink low, and forget things, specific things, then it hit me before the revolution was opened to the audience. He has Alzheimer's, and through Alzheimer's you relive you life, you live your life in the past, so now instead of using flashbacks as a method or unspecified "We are being smart" serum, it uses that context in which they flash backwards to possibly the times that barney is, or is going to relive when the time comes to realize what he has got. Barney is a man of great wit, and great charm, whether he's not good looking, he has a trio of friends and allies, and three different wives in which of the course of the film we are introduced, but centred deeply is his relationship with his friend Boogie, an aspiring author, but also drug addict. A relationship, whether built upon drugs, guilt, or fragility of both their souls is unknown, but what is known, they are relatable and attachable. Also the unrelenting relationship, forever entwined with his father, an ex-cop played with pure authority, a gem amongst this film Dustin Hoffman. Dustin gives Izzy an innocent yet hard, brutal self assured shell. The way it plays out is brilliant. The film really doesn't kicks off at any point, but through this film Barney gains a job in producing a shoddy (but still popular) series based around a stewardess. But once we meet the second wife after the unfortunate death of his first wife Clara, a sexual beauty, of artistic skills and suicidal traits, and motives of cheating, played by Rachelle Lefevre he meets Rosmunda Pikes character Miriam at his wedding to his second to be wife. It shows the strength of love, the deterred of love, and passion, and of companionship, and being a true soul mate. It is an emotionally strong, pungent film, Paul Gia- giving his all, giving Barney a surreal glow of brilliance and of an aristocratic douchbag. A very strong film of great principals, and messages, a great ,great film of heart warming delights. It's beautifully shot, a film with a grand story. Hopefully we will see more of Richard J. Lewis and the brilliant duo Mordecai Richler

Michael Konyves who gave us this ecstatic script.

At points boring, overlong, running up to 133 minutes, but a very well acted and written and directed emotionally gripping film.