On a second viewing Woody Allen's first London film is still enjoyable yet uneven. Jonathan Rhys Meyers acts some of his scenes astutely, creating an awkwardness, an unease, believably manipulating his girlfriend Chloe (Emily Mortimer)'s plans for the evening to get his own way or cringeworthily denying he'd been spotted in town by a friend of his brother-in-law's. In other scenes he is dreadfully wooden, delivering his lines plain wrong - no one speaks like that! The fault may be with Allen for choosing the wrong cut or simply not being able to get the right delivery from his actors.
Scarlett Johansson is breath-takingly sexy and voluptuous as the failing American actress Nola Rice. Allen really cast and wrote for her well. He has turned her into a fantasy woman and yet, within the same film, made her disgusting. It's brilliant the way Chris (Rhys Meyers)'s two women fluctuate in his affections.
Brian Cox and Penelope Wilton are perfect as parents-in-law.
Still worth seeing despite its flaws.
Nugget: spot the chicken picture on the wall when Chris fails to break up with Chloe.
See also my comment on Blogcritics.
Liked it even more on a third viewing. Starting to forgive Jonathan Rhys Meyers for his woodenness. Definitely worth watching as the second part of a double bill with "Crimes and Misdemeanors".
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