>
With a magnificent performance by Paul Giamatti, Barney's Version offers much comedy and insight to the complexities of modern romance. Read critic reviews
What to know
You might also like
See More
Nowhere Boy
Che: Part One
Made in Dagenham
Rabbit Hole
Indignation
Where to watch Barney's Version
Rent Barney's Version on Vudu, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video, or buy it on Vudu, Apple TV, Amazon Prime Video.
Rate And Review
-
What did you think of the movie? (optional)
You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.
You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.
What did you think of the movie? (optional)
How did you buy your ticket?
-
Fandango
-
AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew
-
Cinemark Coming Soon
We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.
-
Regal Coming Soon
We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.
-
Theater box office or somewhere else
Barney's Version Photos
Movie Info
Toward the end of his life, Barney Panofsky (Paul Giamatti) looks back on his triumphs and tragedies, beginning with an ill-fated relationship with Clara (Rachelle Lefevre), whom he marries when she becomes pregnant. When that falls apart, he moves back home to Montreal and gets married twice more, finally finding contentment with Miriam (Rosamund Pike), his third wife. Through it all, Barney is sustained by his work in television, raising children and the advice of his father (Dustin Hoffman).
-
Rating: R (Some Sexual Content|Language)
-
Genre: Drama, Comedy
-
Original Language: English
-
Director: Richard J. Lewis
-
Producer: Robert Lantos
-
Writer: Michael Konyves
-
Release Date (Theaters): limited
-
Release Date (Streaming):
-
Box Office (Gross USA): $7.5M
-
Runtime:
-
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
-
Production Co: Fandango, Harold Greenberg Fund
Cast & Crew
News & Interviews for Barney's Version
Critic Reviews for Barney's Version
Audience Reviews for Barney's Version
-
A man meets the woman of his dreams at his wedding. After you suspend your disbelief that any woman would fall for a man who woos her at his own wedding, you might enjoy this film. There are some funny moments, but Paul Giamatti and Dustin Hoffman wring a dramatic tale out of the lunacy. The key is the honesty of Giamatti's portrayal. He's committed to the character's integrity, even if that integrity belies anything a reasonable person might encounter in real life. Particularly compelling are the film's final moments. Overall, this is a tour de force for Giamatti even if the film defies believability.
-
This is the story, told in confessional form, of 30 years of the life of Barney Panofsky. The film covers a lot of stuff in his life, but the primary focus is on his three marriages: the first to an openly adulterous free spirit, the second to a stereotypical Jewish American Princess, and the third, to the love of his life...whom he has a few kids with, and fist met (and fell in love with) on the day he married wife #2. Considering the subject matter, it might seem like this is a Woody Allen film, but alas, it is not. It's based on a novel and stars Paul Giamatti. Other than the women, the other big presence in Barney's life is his father Izzy, played here by the great Dustin Hoffman. I thought I would like this dramedy. It just seemed like something I would dig. In the end though, I didn't like it. It's overlong, dawn out, fairly slow, and yeah, the subject matter is something that I can easily get tired of, even when it really is done by Woody. I'm not being racist or anti-semitic here. I can only take so much of heavy Jewish shtick (or, for that matter, black, or even Catholic), before it gets dull and tedious. And in this movie, not really a whole lot is done to make the story come off as remarkable or special. Yeah, there's a murder subplot, but that comes off as a bit odd and sticks out. I will give praise to the cast and their performances though. That's the main thing that keeps me from giving the film a lower grade. BEsides Giamatti and Hoffman, the three wives are played by (in order) Rachelle Lefevre, Minnie Driver, and Rosamund Pike. Nothing to complain about here. Bruce Greenwood is also present, but barely, thus his talent is basically wasted. The film does feature though, what is probably the best performance Scott Speedman has given. He plays a wild buddy of Barney's, and made me wish he was in even more of the film, and he's in a decent amount of it. As far as the technicals go, this is a well made film. It just needed to be shorter, tighter, and less boring. I don't recommend this, but if you feel the need to see it, do so only for the acting. And sure, even the makeup. That was decent, too.
-
Adapted from probably the best Canadian novel ever written, Barney's Version does lose something in the transition from page to screen: voice. Maybe those who haven't read the book won't notice, but the first-person narration is where the novel really shines; without it, the opening exposition (over half an hour, in the film) is really quite dull. Stick with this one, though; the ante ramps up, particularly when we see the alluded-to death of Boogie (played by Scott Speedman). This is the one aspect of the adaptation that's spot-on: the way it's shot, we don't know what or who killed Boogie. The film's ending does strip the magic out of the final realization, though, showing you something that suggests what happened to the body then, (finally in some first-person narration, a voice-over), telling you in an incredibly jarring way what's going on, dumbing-down the entire film, in a way. Good acting helps you get to the end - Dustin Hoffman is especially good as Barney's father, and Paul Giamatti convinces you to root for the title character, despite his despicable tendencies - but the novel may well have been unadaptable. It's not a terrible movie, but it's certainly not without its flaws, either.
-
An odd film that seems like a real-life biopic but is actually about a completely ficticious character. The mystery about whether Barney actually killed his best friend is soon forgotten as the film focuses on his personal life and especially his relationship with the love of his life, played by Pike. Giamatti is brilliant in the role although most will find some similarities with his character in 'Sideways'. Pike is also excellent (best screen work I've seen her do) and Hoffman pops up for some comic support as Barney's dad. The mystery returns at the end but it's clear the film doesn't really want to focus on that as by this point we know enough about Barney to realise if he could have done it ot not. As illness starts to take over Barney's life the film starts to take a tragic turn and the scenes between Giamatti and Pike are beautifully acted and very sad. This is a difficult film to describe and just relating the plot won't really give you a true impression of what it's about. It packs an emotional punch towards the end especially but there are a few laughs along the way.
Verified