I'm a little dumbfounded as to why Melinda and Melinda has gotten so much negative buzz. I happen to think that this is Woody's best in a few years, leaps and bounds better than Anything Else. The theme alone is wonderful: how do you see life, as tragic or comic? Woody takes this question and creates two movies in one, based on the same situation: a woman named Melinda interrupts a dinner party of old friends, and from there on out it divides into two story lines, one tragic, one comic.
While Woody's dialogue sounds stiff coming from some of the actors mouths (particuarily Johnny Lee Miller, who I've never been a fan of), some of the performances are quite good. In the "Woody Allen" role, Will Ferrell does quite good, much better than past incarnations such as Jason Biggs and Kenneth Branuagh. I was also very impressed with Chiwetel Ejiofor as Melinda's suitor in the dramatic version. However, Radha Mitchell outshines all others in the title role, which allows her to display her range better than any role she's had previously.
Overall, a clever film that deserves better. 4/5
