Blu-ray Review: Barney's Version (2010)

Paul Giamatti is brilliant. It's safe to say that's a widely accepted fact by now; from Sideways to John Adams, he's proved he's one of the most capable, versatile and endearing character actors working today. "Character actor" being Hollywoodese for "unattractive", however, he's not the sort of actor you'd expect to play a thrice-married lothario. That's exactly the role he embodies in Barney's Version - he's the titular Barney, the protagonist in this somewhat picaresque recounting of his romantic misadventures. Opening in Barney's late middle age, the film then flashes back to his first, short-lived, marriage (instigated by an unplanned pregnancy rather than true love), before quickly moving on to his second dalliance with wedded "bliss". It's at this, his second wedding reception, when he finally falls in love - and the target of his affections is not his new wife.

Barney's Version occupies a sort of middle-ground between drama and romantic comedy; the brief synopsis above sounds like the latter but mostly the film plays it straight. It's not afraid to go to some darker places either, to its credit, but the film never quite lends such moments the weight that they should have. It's hampered by a lack of empathy with the main character. Despite Giamatti's best efforts, Barney remains unlikeable throughout. Basically, he's a thoroughly unpleasant person: selfish, jealous, and dishonest. It's difficult to buy that three different women would be willing to marry him, but that's nothing to do with his looks - there's just never any justification why they fall for him, the script never granting him any great wit or redeeming traits. When he finally meets the love of his life, played by Rosamund Pike, he chases after her like a puppy, which is mildly charming but undercut by the fact that he's just jilted his new wife, practically at the altar. Pike's Miriam has the good sense to turn him down at first, but before long they do soon hook up, which never convinces despite the actors' solid chemistry. Pike is luminous, but her character's unflinching saintliness is simply too one-note.

Some drama is injected by a mysterious death that occurs around the half-way point, which does help to sustain a level of intrigue: is Barney a murderer? The film never quite spells it out, although the ending does provide narrative closure. Sadly this incident is ignored for long stretches, leaving the unlikely romance to carry the film. Its main strength is that it is certainly offbeat and appealingly different from the normal romantic template, rendering the outcome rather unpredictable for a change. The acting is solid across the board, and the passage of time (the story spans at least thirty years) is very well conveyed through the actors' physicality and some remarkably effective but subtle make-up effects. When Barney is in his 70s, it barely looks like Giamatti is wearing any make-up, yet when the film cuts to decades earlier the supposed difference of years is clearly apparent and wholly believable.

As an independent Canadian effort, Barney's Version deserves plaudits for its willingness to buck accepted conventions and also to delicately weave between some major tonal shifts. It isn't a complete success, though, as its emotional ambitions are scuppered by an inability to really care for the central character.



Release Information
Country: UK / Region: B (unconfirmed) / Version: N/A / Discs: 1 / Distributor: Universal

Presentation
Barney's Version looks and sounds as good as you'd hope for a new film with a dual-layered disc and high bitrate. Solid detailing and colours that err towards subdued natural hues make for a satisfying image, ably accompanied by the customary DTS-HD audio.

Extras
A 10-minute featurette, presented in (non-anamorphic!) standard def, is the only bonus on offer. It's fine for a behind the scenes glimpse, but hardly in-depth. The Sony US Blu-ray comes with more, including a commentary.



Summary
Giamatti delivers the goods again, but the material slightly lets him down. Barney's Version is diverting but never particularly gripping or moving.