Best movie of this year hands down!

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

The main character was utterly loathsome. I didn't want to spend an hour watching him, let alone an overly-long 2 1/4 hours. There were no sympathetic characters; I hated the Paul Giamatti (an actor I hate in everything he does) character and hated all of the others for not hating him.Dustin Hoffman redeemed this movie, his moments in it were great. But there was absolutely nothing else.The movie was largely a plot less character study of an obnoxious character. The only real plot element was the death of the friend, Boogie. I'm not going to give away the way this element of plot is resolved, but I didn't get the point at all when I saw the movie, only when I googled it did I realize that the one scene with the airplane was resolving this plot element. Maybe if I'd read the novel it would have been more clear.Why are we supposed to love hateful destructive characters? I don't, and never have.

If it's something refreshingly different and brilliantly done you're looking for then this is it. Barney's Version won me over in the first opening minutes and sealed it's place as a lifelong favorite well before the end. Barney's words and actions just cracked me up and I laughed until I cried repeatedly all the way through the movie saying "OMG! it's the male version of me!" Babyboomers and generation X will appreciate this movie the most. If you have a care-bear, wrap them in cotton wool, political correct mentality this movie is not for you! This is a movie best appreciated by those over the age of 40 who grew up in the 50's, 60's and early 70's before the world went to crap because of the afore mentioned.I loved this movie. It is true that Barney is "politically incorrect, impulsive, irascible, fearlessly blunt, hard-drinking, cigar chain smoking, foulmouthed, cynical, self-absorbed, frumpy schmuck, he is no pretty sight - from inside or out" BUT.... I loved that like me Barney spoke his mind and didn't care what people thought of him and what he had to say. He wore his heart on his sleeve, was deeply passionate in all that he did, was loyal to his friends and family with the exception of one major stuff up (who doesn't make mistakes?), and he was dogged in his determination. He was sincere in all that he did and said and you always knew where you stood with him, no head games.... this is me take it or leave it, I don't back down, never give up and won't go away so deal with it kind of guy (a man after my own heart he-he!). I found that for all Barney's flaws he possessed traits that balanced him out.... how often are we all so quick to find others flaws and yet fail to take the time to really get to know someone and discover their good qualities.I loved Barney and I love movies that you can relate to, can say that I know people like that and leave you thinking on so many different levels about life, your life and pondering so many possibilities of what if I....? Giamatti 1st impressed me in the mini series John Adams and in Barney he did another extraordinary performance proving once again that despite the fact he isn't what you would expect a leading man to look like he certainly does have what it takes to leave a memorable impression as a leading man given the right script and environment to work with. I can't fault any of the cast to be honest, they all seemed to belong in and played their respective role beautifully.All in all a huge BRAVO! to all the cast and crew for a highly entertaining, brilliantly scripted, very original and I must say a very side-splitting funny movie. AND thank you to Giamatti for giving us a refreshing and unforgettable leading man in Barney.... this gal found herself absolutely adoring Barney.... a male version of me in many respects! LMAO! I wish I could give a much higher score than 10/10! A movie that has a charm all of it's own that I suspect will age / date beautifully!Oh and one final note.... PLEASE watch and listen carefully for an extremely creative reveal to understand what really happened that day at the lake between Barney and his best friend... the did he or didn't he do it is answered in full at the end of the movie.... *rolls eyes* at those who obviously didn't pay attention

In Montreal, the bitter and unpleasant television producer Barney Panofsky (Paul Giamatti) recalls his marriages. In 1974, in Rome, his unbalanced girlfriend Clara 'Chambers' Charnofsky (Rachelle Lefevre) gets pregnant and Barney marries her. On the delivery, he learns that the stillborn baby is not his and he leaves Clara that commits suicide later. Then his uncle invites Barney to move to Montreal to work as television producer. In 1975, Barney gets married with his second wife (Minnie Driver), the daughter of a wealthy Jewish couple. During the wedding party, Barney is infatuated by the guest Miriam Grant (Rosamund Pike). Miriam does not believe in love at the first sight and rejects the flowers and gifts that Barney sends to her in New York. One day, Barney surprises his best friend Boogie (Scott Speedman) shagging his wife and they divorce.He travels to New York to meet Miriam; they return to Montreal, get married and have two children. After many years living happily together, Miriam meets the radio producer Blair (Bruce Greenwood) in their house by the lake and Barney, who drinks a lot and smokes cigars, feels jealous. Blair offers an opportunity to Miriam in New York and Barney gets drunken and has one night stand with a former actress, destroying their marriage. Later Barney shows signs of dementia, loosing his memory. But he never forgets his beloved Miriam. "Barney's Version" is a dramatic comedy about a man called Barney and his three wives. Barney is a non-charismatic character but the performances are top-notch and watching this film is worthwhile. Barney's ability to mess up his relationships is impressive. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "A Minha Versão do Amor" ("My Version of Love")

"Barney's Version" takes us on an intensely aching yet ambivalently riveting hike through the frustratingly mismanaged yet inculpably and tirelessly romantic ups and downs that together form part of the dolefully rickety foundations of Barney Panofsky's (brilliantly interpreted by Paul Giamatti) awe-inspiring life. As he initially reminisces about his triad of amorous failures, we witness the not too uncommon lifestyle of an adulterer indifferently cruising through marriages at the blink of an eye. Admittedly the first two are rather devoid of mutual attraction whilst the third and final one throws in the erstwhile absent emotional hook that painfully grapples onto Barney's flesh-torn thoughts forever. Watching a seemingly ideal relationship that constructs a functional new family with Miriam Grant-Panofsky (Rosamund Pike) be torn down again by Barney's improvident actions inevitably inspires great anger and disrespect towards this character. But just as quickly as Barney's wives change, so do these negative feelings as the very conditions of his existence are unexpectedly and drastically tipped upside down as he nears the end of his life. Interestingly enough, this disturbing and thought-provoking twist is most felt by those watching him from the outside or in this case listening to his side of the story. A tragically ingenious detail that makes Barney's view of his life an exclusively mesmerizing and time-frozen complexity as he innocently yet truthfully forgets all else but the ability to love. All in all "Barney's version" amalgamates a myriad of antithetical emotions induced by the dramatic performance of Paul Giamatti and by the contrastingly comedic yet equally enthralling one by Dustin Hoffman and crafts them beautifully into an unforgettably poignant story.