You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger
You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger is the latest light hearted comedy from Woody Allen that’s his London version of Modern (dysfunctional) Family and which continues his current love affair with Europe. As usual Allen has managed to tap a litany of acting heavyweights this time mostly British with American Josh Brolin tossed in. He plays Roy a med school grad that turned his back on medicine to pursue his passion for writing at which he is partially inspired. Why this yank has chosen Britain to be a starving artist in is not explained but so are a lot of things in this uneven film. Perhaps it’s because missing from Brolin’s multitude of talents is passable European accents? Anyway Sally is his long suffering wife played by Naomi Watts who can not only do accents but also dialects as she was born in England and raised in Australia. Their rocky marriage is not being stabilized by Roy’s lusting over his hot neighbour Dia (Freida Pinto missing for too long post Slumdog Millionaire) and by Sally’s infatuation with her new boss Greg (Antonio Banderas). This couple is surviving off of handouts from Sally’s wiggy mother Helena (outstanding Gemma Jones) whose own marriage is in a shambles since her husband Alfie (Anthony Hopkins) went old age crazy and dumped her for the tarty Charmaine (Lucy Punch). None of the loose ends here get tied up in a nice tidy bow but the guilty end up punishing themselves and the biggest screwballs have justice served – even if it’s not with someone tall and dark.