tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82023979505811301552012-02-16T12:02:37.818-08:00Andrew Wickliffenoreply@blogger.comBlogger11100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8202397950581130155.post-38084075817397453702010-12-03T07:00:00.000-08:002010-12-03T21:54:44.642-08:00[caption id="attachment_2897" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Josh Brolin and Naomi Watts star in Woody Allen\'s <em>You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger</em>."]<img src="http://www.thestopbutton.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/youwill.jpg" alt="" title="youwill" width="400" height="200" class="size-full wp-image-2897" />[/caption]<p><i>You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger</i> is an unexpected surprise. Allen mixes a very black comedy with this light, almost absurd relationship comedy. But he never goes too dark.</p><br /><p>I'm trying to think of a example but will undoubtedly fail to explain. Anthony Hopkins marries his call girl, played by Lucy Punch. Funny situation. This marriage ruins Hopkins. It's not quite a "just desserts" situation because Hopkins isn't a terrible guy. No one, with one exception, really gets a deserved comeuppance. Instead, they just navigate these incredibly frustrating, dumb situations they've put themselves in....</p><br /><p>Allen almost loses it all at the end--he's using narration (from Zak Orth, who does a fine job) and it doesn't feel quite right--but then he saves it. This save is immediately following another scene where he could have perfectly ended the film. But the save is better.</p><br /><p>Every single performance in <i>Stranger</i> is outstanding, but Naomi Watts and Josh Brolin can do these types of roles. It's Antonio Banderas who really surprised me. He's this perfect Woody Allen leading man (even though he's in a supporting role here). Seeing him bluster and think and speechless... it's just fantastic.</p><br /><p>Gemma Jones is the other principal cast member (she's Hopkins's ex-wife, they're Watts's parents, she's married to Brolin). Allen treats her comically, until he establishes it's her world and everyone else is living in it.</p><br /><p>There's some nice minor performances from Pauline Collins and Philip Glenister.</p><br /><p>I expected something decent, but <i>Stranger</i>'s great.</p><br /><img style="width: 38px; height: 12px;" alt="4/4" src="http://www.thestopbutton.com/_Stars/four_star.png"><p style="font-size: 11px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">CREDITS</span></p><br /><p style="font-size: 11px;">Written and directed by Woody Allen; director of photography, Vilmos Zsigmond; edited by Alisa Lepselter; production designer, Jim Clay; produced by Letty Aronson, Stephen Tenenbaum and Jaume Roures; released by Sony Pictures Classics.</p><br /><p style="font-size: 11px;">Starring Josh Brolin (Roy), Naomi Watts (Sally), Gemma Jones (Helena), Anthony Hopkins (Alfie), Lucy Punch (Charmaine), Antonio Banderas (Greg), Freida Pinto (Dia), Roger Ashton-Griffiths (Jonathan), Pauline Collins (Cristal), Anna Friel (Iris), Ewen Bremner (Henry Strangler) and Zak Orth (Narrator)</p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/8202397950581130155-3808407581739745370?l=thestopbutton.blogspot.com' alt='' /></div>Andrew Wickliffenoreply@blogger.com0