In one of the boldest casting moves in recent memory, Paul Giamatti will be playing to an irascible, cantankerous schlub in the forthcoming “Barney’s Version.” Ok, while the role might be one that Giamatti can knock out in his sleep, and though we didn’t think too much of it when we finally caught up with it at VIFF, with a pretty solid cast and based on an acclaimed by novel by Canadian author Mordecai Richler, we’ll definitely take this over anonymous alien invasion flick #4271 any day of the week.
Starring Giamatti, Rosamund Pike, Dustin Hoffman, Jake Hoffman, Minnie Driver, (the late) Maury Chaykin, Bruce Greenwood and Scott Speedman, the story concerns an aging TV producer (Giamatti) who, when accused of a variety of salacious doings — including murder — by a former acquaintance’s autobiography, decides to write his own memoir (hence the title of the film) to set the record straight about his life and loves.
The film has been running through the festival circuit but not really picking up too much heat, largely meeting with mixed reviews so don’t expect it to factor in the Oscar race. You can check it out when it hits theaters on January 14, 2011.