This robust and sprawling drama is a follow-up to the Ted Kotcheff-directed film of acclaimed Canadian novelist Mordecai Richler's Joshua Then and Now (1985). It revolves around the life and escapades of Barney Panofsky (Paul Giamatti), a Montreal Jew and ardent believer in true love. At the outset, he is writing a memoir to clear the air of the falsehoods promulgated by a detective's book connecting him with the disappearance of his best friend Boogie (Scott Speedman).With sarcasm, Barney calls his work "The true story of my wasted life." It is certainly not a life lacking in drama, surprises, and changes.
In 1974, Barney, the protagonist of the memoir, is a bohemian in Rome where he aspires to nurture his creativity. Instead, he is swept off his feet by Clara (Rachelle Lefevre), a wild red-head he marries after learning that she is pregnant. But as he finds out very quickly, she is not the true love he is seeking. Back in Montreal, he lands a job at a TV production company.
Next, Barney weds a rich, Jewish-American princess (Minnie Driver). It looks like a promising union to his cop father Izzy (Dustin Hoffman). But at the wedding reception, Barney looks across the room and sees the dazzling beauty and intelligence of Miriam (Rosamund Pike). He knows in his heart that this is the true love he has been dreaming about his whole life. All this transpires before he says one word to her. And when Barney does declare his love, she wonders whether he is suffering from some mysterious malady.
It takes a while but Barney finally gets a divorce and convinces Miriam to become his third wife. They have two kids and, for the first time in his life, Barney experiences contentment. But time takes a toll on their relationship and Miriam goes back to work in radio. Barney wants to stay with her until death parts them but she has other plans.
Director Richard J. Lewis makes the most out of Paul Giamatti's multi-dimensional performance as Barney, a dreamer and schemer whose life is graced by true love when he least expects it. By the time he's ready to come to terms with his selfishness, his betrayals, his lust, and his obsession with liquor and hockey, Barney's memory starts playing tricks on him. As the Navajos wisely state:
Remember what you have seen,
because everything forgotten
returns to the circling winds.
Special features on the Blu-ray/DVD combo widescreen edition include: behind the scenes of Barney's Version; a Mordecai Richler interview; "On the Red Carpet"; a 92nd Street Y Q&A session with Paul Giamatti and Annette Insdorf; and a commentary with director Richard J. Lewis, writer Michael Konyves, and producer Robert Lantos.
