Film review: You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger

Memorable moments and great cast help out this slightly predictable Woody Allen film, writes Mark Orton.

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger
Director: Woody Allen
Cast: Josh Brolin, Naomi Watts, Anthony Hopkins, Antonio Banderas, Gemma Jones, Lucy Punch
Rating: (M)
3 stars (out of 5)

Any director who has consistently produced content over such a long period of time is bound to have a few flat patches.

Although, even a less than stellar effort from Woody Allen can have its merits and You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger has many of those, not least Allen's ability to muster such a great cast. There is nothing remotely revelatory here.

In fact, you could even suggest the plot is a patchwork of elements from half a dozen other Allen films, but that also means there is a comfortable feel of familiarity that takes the strain out of trying to guess what happens next.

You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger is essentially an urban drama about two dysfunctional relationships and a handful of bit-part romantic interlopers. Roy (Josh Brolin) and Sally (Naomi Watts) are a married couple struggling with the financial burden of Roy's misguided belief in his talent as an author.

Beset with meddling from Sally's mother Helena (Gemma Jones), who has taken up an unhealthy interest in fortune-telling after her husband Alfie (Anthony Hopkins) leaves her for a younger woman, both Roy and Sally start to look for romantic fulfilment elsewhere.

While it's not going to take a Mensa candidate to figure out where the plot threads lead, Woody Allen's subtle pacing and amusing characters, all underscored by a droll narrator keep your interest piqued.