
Al, Louise, Max and Sy - four literary types who work in the theater business - are discussing what they believe to be the real life truths underlying their work, Max who writes primarily tragic plays, and Sy who writes primarily comic plays. Al proceeds to tell them a real story of a troubled woman named Melinda Robicheaux showing up unexpectedly at a door in the middle of an important business dinner party. Melinda long ago left her physician husband to embark on a relation... (Full plot summary below)
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Al, Louise, Max and Sy - four literary types who work in the theater business - are discussing what they believe to be the real life truths underlying their work, Max who writes primarily tragic plays, and Sy who writes primarily comic plays. Al proceeds to tell them a real story of a troubled woman named Melinda Robicheaux showing up unexpectedly at a door in the middle of an important business dinner party. Melinda long ago left her physician husband to embark on a relationship with who she initially believed to be the man of her dreams, which ended up not being the case. Melinda tries to put her life back together with the help of select people at the dinner party, some who have their own ulterior motives. Melinda's appearance also opens up the cracks existing in the marriage of one of the couples at the dinner party, while it leads to the dissolution of a friendship that has existed since college. With this basic outline of a story, Max and Sy try to make their point of life being truly a tragedy or comedy on spinning Melinda's story with their own mindset.
Leave your thoughts about Melinda and Melinda.
| Atlanta Journal-ConstitutionEleanor Ringel CaterIt's middle-rung Woody, but compared to such dismal efforts as "Hollywood Ending" and "Anything Else," the movie is a godsend. |
| Mark Leeper's ReviewsMark R. LeeperMore an interesting idea for a film than an interesting film. |
| Reel Times: Reflections on CinemaMark PfeifferThe film feels like a summary work, as if [Allen] is reevaluating his career twenty-five years after exploring similar territory in Stardust Memories. |
| Combustible CelluloidJeffrey M. AndersonWoody Allen breaks his recent slump with Melinda and Melinda, his best and most purely enjoyable film in a decade. |
| Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertIn its complexity and wit, this is one of his (Allen's) best recent films. |
| USA TodayMike ClarkSmart, satisfying and compact but so modest in scale that only true-blue fans will sense - immediately - that it's Woody Allen's best outing in many years. |
| CHUDDevin FaraciMelinda and Melinda is a treat for Woody Allen fans. For one thing, it's pretty good, which has been a rarity in the 21st century for the director. |
| Chicago TribuneMichael WilmingtonAllen gives us at least half a classic comedy - more than we usually get at the movies these days - while having some elegant fun with an idea that has intrigued poets and smart alecks through the ages: the interchangeability of comedy and tragedy. |
| New York Magazine/VultureKen TuckerWhen are we going to get a generation of actors who will finally decline to succumb to The Woody Mystique, and refuse to accept a proffered role without first deciding whether the entire damn project is worthwhile? |
| The Hollywood ReporterSheri LindenWoody's back on solid ground with his first memorable pic of the new millennium. |