Barney's Version (2010)

This was a beautiful, fascinating film about a very anti-social character Barney Panofsky. It starts out in Rome in the 1970's and spans a period of thirty years. The film is part murder mystery, love story, and lastly a memoir of a Jewish Canandian television producer, unlikable but never predictable. Paul Giametti gave an Oscar worthy performance as this complex character. He actually makes you care about Barney. Rosamind Pike, as Barney's third wife is wonderful, as is Minnie Driver as the overbearing, Jewish 2nd wife. Dustin Hoffman is Barney's dad and he captures the qualities of an earthy retired cup from the touch neighbors of Montreal. Scott Speedman does a wonderful job as Barney's drug addict best friend. 'Barney's Version' is based on the novel by Mordecai Richler. a very famous Jewish novelist. To see our full review please go to Two Jews On Film. We give this film a high bagel rating

Fmovies: The movie moved me through it's no holds barred view of Barney's life. We see his imperfections and self-inflicted wounds even as he tries to build a life and family with his true love. Paul Giamatti wonderfully portrays a life though the stages from youthful and idealistic 20's through the difficulties of aging and confronting death. If you want to give yourself a chance to be introspective about your own path and the choices you've made in the various parts of your life you'll find this movie to be very moving. It is a movie that the 50+ crowd will find to be meaningful and honest. There is a lot to dislike about Barney and the way he has hurt others, yet there is a good heart underneath it all (as he yet fulfills the adage of being his own worst enemy). This was a wonderful movie, now I'm looking forward to reading the book and then seeing it again.

Barney's Version is based upon the novel of the same name by Mordecai Richler. The film spans several decades showing us the life of a man named Barney Panofsky. The film does not hold back Barney's flaws as he is very foul mouthed, speaks his mind (whether you want him to, or not), drinks, smokes cigars and a lot of the time is an ego centric jerk. However during the years we see Barney change in some ways as he meets different women in his life and deals with family and friends as well as humour and tragedy that everybody can say would happen in their life and has. The trailers for Barney's Version, or at least the ones that I have seen being played on the television, make the film look like a raucous comedy, when really it couldn't be any farther from the truth, or what is really at the heart of the film. There is a great deal of comedy in this film as we laugh together with Barney and his antics and sometimes laugh right at him for his unsophisticated and ignorant ways. However as I said above we do get to see many different sides of Barney as the film goes along and after awhile I stopped thinking that this character is full of himself and kind of a jerk. Instead, I realized and I think the point of the writing and the film itself was to present him as a normal human being with some very good points and also some very obvious flaws, or things they need to work on, which in a sense I think describes just about anybody you can think of. By giving Barney a human side and allowing us the viewer to care for him in moments even when we don't want to, I feel it really enhances the film and our relationship with him and the other characters while watching it. I love when films do not just present characters as one dimensional and having no real flaws, or struggles and they just fit every perfect Hollywood hero out there. I find that when they do that it is so unbelievable and it is harder to like, care, or be interested in the characters because of this. I am so glad that Barney's Version took the opposite route. By not only caring for Barney in the film we get to care about his family and the circumstances that will either be the most joyous in his life, or the most heartbreaking and we are there every minute of it and it will keep us fascinated, concerned and move us sometimes into laughter and at other times close to tears. This film is a real powerfully emotional film. Yes there is the comedy aspect, but it goes so beyond that by showing the inevitable difficulties we will all end up facing in life and I think because it is done so strongly here, it makes us reflect on our own lives and the choices we have made so far no matter how old, or young you are and whether those choices have been good, or just the opposite. The writing of the characters and what makes them so human is one of the film's strongest points because they all have wonderfully different personalities and are all a joy to watch as we watch their lives unfold before us. The acting is also wonderful here especially by Paul Giamatti, who plays Barney in what I would call one of the best male performances of 2010. He embodies the role so perfectly and we can see the emotion, the hurt, the humour and everything coming out of this brilliant performance. The supporting actors and actresses are all very good here as well. I was so pleased at what an involving film this was. It took me away from my own world and thoughts and put me instead into Barney's world and made me laugh, cry and reflect with them and what a wonderful experience that was.

Barney's Version fmovies. Watched it in a early screening in Toronto, and I was shocked! I didn't expect such an amazing movie. Will remember it for the rest of my life.

Ignore the comments by Jewish ladies who were offended by the movie's contents. Those are just a small part of this masterpiece.

The roles are all played well. Paul Giamatti's role is nothing short of Oscar-winning in my opinion. The story is fun, but serious. The scenes are high-quality and well designed. I really didn't see anything missing.

Just one point, DO NOT watch the trailers. They completely spoil the movie. I think the main reason I loved the movie was that I did not know anything about it. But for those who have read the book, it should still be fun. It's a well-made movie, on top of a wonderful story.

Giamatti has got to be the plainest looking leading man out there; yet, his acting ability transcends his anti-matinée idol physiognomy by a significant amount. And, remembering "Sideways," there is nobody who can play a guy half-in-the-bag nearly as well. HIs facial expressions, comic timing, and the way in which he delivers his lines are just brilliant (and if you think he can only do comic turns, see HBO's "John Adams"). Yet, every scene that he was in with Dustin Hoffman, Hoffman stole! The director (Richard J. Lewis) is able to get everything from this very talented cast, and puts together a movie that never drags, is easy to follow even though it uses the flashback, and is punctuated with several laugh-out-louds.

Giamatti's character--although a cad in some ways--manages to also be quite endearing, and character development in the whole movie is excellent. We know these people...some of them are in our family, some are friends or perhaps, live next door. To be sure, there is a Jewish aspect to the individuals and story (it's pretty hard to divorce that aspect from anything Richler has written), but all the issues are universal. If Woody Allen had done this movie, there would have been endless navel gazing, and the characters would have been more 2-dimensional (just a mind game I played since the characters and the themes are similar to those that The Woodman deals with).

At any rate, this is a brilliantly constructed examination of a life that is enjoyable and entertaining; also, a great movie to see and have dinner afterwards so all those who saw it with you could discuss--a lot of meat for that. But, if it's not on a big screen within 30 miles of you, it will play very well on the small screen in a few months; but certainly go out of your way to see it.

I saw Barney's Version in Toronto. Loved it. Superb performances by all actors. Give yourself a night off, forget about your problems and find out about Barney's problems and his friends problems, and his wive's problems. It will make your life seem better. If you read the book, you most definitely will enjoy the movie. Poor Barney, nothing seems to turn out the way he wanted. He makes two really bad mistakes in his personal life and even though he is successful in business, he is really miserable and doesn't know how to fix it. An unexpected turn of events, and voilà, his worst problem is solved. But in an instant, he messes up again and is suspected of murder. The answer isn't revealed until the very end. I really felt sorry for Barney. The best line of the movie comes out of Minnie Driver on their Honeymoon. The best scene in the movie is a buff Scott Speedman stripping down to his underwear to go snorkeling. Dustin Hoffman is funny as heck. His son is also in the movie and is quite good. Rosamund Pike is enchanting and I see why Barney loved her so much. Barney is played by Paul Giammati and I will picture him as Barney forever. I wanted to give him a hug.