MELINDA AND MELINDA
Directed & Written by: Woody Allen.
Produced by: Letty Aronson.
Director of Photography: Vilmos Zsigmond.
Edited by: Alisa Lepselter.
Released by: Fox Searchlight.
Country of Origin: USA. 99 min. Rated: PG-13.
With: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Will Ferrell, Jonny Lee Miller, Radha Mitchell, Amanda Peet, Larry Pine, Chloë Sevigny & Wallace Shawn.

Woody Allen’s latest foray sets up two parallel stories, one tragic, the other comic. The story focuses primarily on Melinda (Radha Mitchell), a fictionalized protagonist envisioned by two men of the theater (Wally Shawn and Larry Pine). Over dinner with others, they debate the merits of comedy versus tragedy in depicting more accurately the meaning of life. Henceforth, the two men engage in a hypothetical construction of Melinda’s imaginary circumstances and romantic exploits. In so doing, Allen sets the stage for these respective flights of fancy.

Allen’s screenplay, however, never gets far off the ground. These worlds either do not assimilate or differentiate themselves enough to make the philosophical underpinnings more engaging. The tragedy doesn’t feel particularly tragic, and the comedic version, although more lighthearted in tone, never feels all that humorous.

Whether it’s a question of chemistry, character development or screenplay structure that jumps from one version to the other, the synergy of the relationships, plots, and themes never fully meet. The problem may lie primarily in the film's premise. Melinda’s character(s), in both tales, are revealed through a good deal of Allen's autobiographical exposition. This leaves the viewer feeling more like therapist than audience member. For her part(s), Mitchell’s personae seem held in check, as if she or Allen didn’t want either of the two Melindas to come off as too extreme. However, the result is a blurring of these disparate worlds, making the film less focused. Although it is possible that Allen wanted these worlds to collide, blending them doesn’t seem to be the ultimate intention either.

Nevertheless, the playful inventiveness of the plot is apparent. That being said, putting a second face on Allen's well-traveled terrain of romantic follies, career ambitions, and urban neuroses doesn’t help to give this movie a fresh perspective. In fact, it’s possible that the conceit of the plot’s dual device ends up being its own double indemnity – cluttering and diffusing the points of the film. It even feels as if Allen himself didn’t trust his story. He resorts to a bookend finale where we return to the dinner conversation that began the film. The final lines resolve the message in a literal summation of Allen’s main theme, making Melinda and Melinda feel like the conclusion of a thesis paper. Max Rennix
March 18, 2005