Movie- Melinda and Melinda

Woody Allen goes through his ups and downs in movie making, with weemingly more down in recent years, so I honestly did not know what to expect in Melinda and Melinda
(2004).

The movie is set up at a dinner party, with a dramatist and comedic playright discussing whether comedy or tragedy tells a story better. And then they are challenged with an initial premise...and asked, is this better as a comedy or a drama...which medium can better effect a meaningful story out of this premise?

And so, we see a woman crash a dinner party, the guests a bit shocked as Melinda enters the apartment. She is an old friend of the woman of the house. This story goes on a bit and then we see a woman crash a dinner party, the guest are a bit shocked as Melinda enters the apartment. She is a neighbor from down the hall. One a drama, one a comedy.

These two stories continue side by side, one episode after another, similar in many respects, but very different in others. And I was caught up in both!

Will Ferrell, who lately has done really crappy stuff, is actually really good in this film. He captures Allen's spirit and sounds much like him, with some classic Allen throw away lines and observations.

All in all, I really enjoyed this movie. It is smart, with a great cast, including Amanda Peet, Josh Brolin and starring Radha Mitchell as Melinda in both the drama and the comedy.