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You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger
- Review Date: September 20, 2010
- R
- Genre: Comedy
- 2010
Common Sense Media says
Woody Allen revisits familiar themes in mature comedy.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this mature comedy revisits complex themes that director Woody Allen often explores in his movies, including marriage, infidelity, and career ennui. There’s frank talk about marital dissatisfaction and plenty of grass-is-greener yearning. Most of it will likely go over the head of tweens and younger teens (not that they're likely to be interested), though older ones inclined to philosophizing may find it interesting. Expect some swearing (including "f--k") and drinking and images of women in their underwear.
What's the story?
Londoner Helena (Gemma Jones) is beside herself: Her husband, Alfie (Anthony Hopkins), has undergone a late-life crisis and left her, devoting himself to a physical makeover and his new, much younger, wife, Charmaine (Lucy Punch). But for Helena, the wisdom of her fortune-teller (Pauline Collins) is what makes sense. Meanwhile, their daughter, Sally (Naomi Watts), is distracted by her new boss (Antonio Banderas) and can no longer hide her deep disappointment with her husband, Roy (Josh Brolin), an almost-doctor who had a semi-successful first novel but has been unable to conjure a decent follow-up. He worries that the most recent book he submitted won’t make the cut and is distracted by the pretty musicologist (Freida Pinto) whom he glimpses from his bedroom window.
Is it any good?
In many ways, YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER finds filmmaker Woody Allen in fine form. The dialogue is strong, the editing is crisp, the pacing natural. And the acting’s superb (especially the believably unraveling Watts). Still, what’s missing here -- and what’s been missing in Allen’s recent work, except for the delightful Vicky Cristina Barcelona -- is a sense that it’s trying to lure you into a conversation, one you preferably haven’t had numerous times.
Ultimately, for all its wonderful qualities, You Will Meet a Talk Dark Stranger feels just like that: a Woody Allen retread, like something out of his good old New York days but with a British accent and laced with annoyance at a world mired in the same questions ... and offering no new answers. The staving off of death by making foolish choices, the impatience with a life less luxe, the ambivalence over commitment -- they’re all here. Perhaps it’s true that life isn’t all that different, no matter what time period we live in -- the Hannah and Her Sisters 1980s or the Tall Dark Stranger 2010s -- or what complexities arise. Why bother then?
What families can talk about
Families can talk about what the movie is saying about marriage. Do the relationships in the movie seem realistic? What happens when they don't work out?
How does this movie compare to Allen's other films?
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AGE
Looks like a pretty good movie. I might not pay for it though, i will just get it of this cool website.
rewards1*/1799913
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AGE
a not so good movie of Woody Allen.
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger: Follows a pair of married couples, Alfie (Hopkins) and Helena (Jones), and their daughter Sally (Watts) and husband Roy (Brolin), as their passions, ambitions, and anxieties lead them into trouble and out of their minds. After Alfie leaves Helena to pursue his lost youth and a free-spirited call girl named Charmaine (Punch), Helena abandons rationality and surrenders her life to the loopy advice of a charlatan fortune teller. Unhappy in her marriage, Sally develops a crush on her handsome art gallery owner boss, Greg (Banderas), while Roy, a novelist nervously awaiting the response to his latest manuscript, becomes moonstruck over Dia (Pinto), a mystery woman who catches his gaze through a nearby window.
i rated NOT INTERESTED after i saw all the negative reviews and there was a buzz of this movie being cold and not to expect any nominations or winning in any festivals or awards ceremonies. but come on its Woody Allen, this movie was available so without wasting any time or something i saw this movie. Well though i am not disappointed much, just little from Woody Allen as he is far more talented and much more capable of making much good movies from this. i think this movie was BELOW AVERAGE if not completely a disaster, performances and the characters saves it not the whole movie. it is definitely not the best movie of Woody Allen. this movie could have been much better.
Gemma Jones was awsome, just brilliant performance, she plays Naomi's strange mother. Anthony Hopkins was brilliant again these two older cast members were amazing and natural in their roles. loved them. Naomi was ok in the movie and so was Bandeas, who is not much in this movie. Josh Brolin was above average in the movie, good performance by him and i loved his character. freida Pinto was looking gorgeous, she was ok too. so all in all good performances if not excellent.
this movie was very short too. and some of the characters were focused much so there was actually not enough screen presence for much of the other cast of this good ensemble cast. screenplay had some flaws too or it had the ability of being a god movie. story was good. this relationship comedy could have been a good movie but it turns out to be a below average ensemble cast comedy. somehow nice and little bit interesting to watch. not gonna recommend to anyone who doesn't see Woody Allen's, but if you are a fan of him you won't wanna miss it forget if it is not an excellent movie.
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| Studio: | Sony Pictures Classics |
| Director: | Woody Allen |
| Cast: | Anthony Hopkins, Gemma Jones, Josh Brolin, Naomi Watts |
| Genre: | Comedy |
| Run time: | 98 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | September 22, 2010 |
| DVD release date: | February 15, 2011 |
| MPAA rating: | R |
| MPAA explanation: | some language |
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