The Feminine Mystique Cynicism is not exactly a surprise from Woody Allen, our foremost cinematic chronicler of relationships gone sour. What is surprising is that Melinda and Melinda is Allen's best film in years. In the opening scene two writers, played by Wallace Shawn and Larry Pine, are debating the tragic vs. the comic view of art and life. Mischievous Shawn tickles a table full of guests by declaring that the same basic story could be turned into farce or tragedy, depending on the predilection of the author. To illustrate his point, he suggests the premise of a distraught woman breaking into the dinner party of some contented married couples. Then, as he imagines how the encounters might play out, we see two stories dramatized and intercut. The central character, Melinda (Radha Mitchell), is the same in both stories, though most of the supporting players change. Both tales deal with human deceitfulness and infidelity, but one story is played comically while the other builds to more serious dramatic crises. Maybe the movie succeeds because the cast is one of the strongest that Allen has assembled in recent years. Will Ferrell plays a delightful variation on Allen's typically insecure hero--a struggling actor who's reduced to being a helpmate to his ambitious wife (Amanda Peet). Chiwetel Ejiofor, the brilliant actor from Dirty Pretty Things, does a smooth turn as a musician who tantalizes one of the Melindas. But the movie really belongs to the women. Chloe Sevigny has her best role since Boys Don't Cry (unless you count The Brown Bunny--just kidding) as a Park Avenue intellectual who isn't quite as noble as she initially appears. Mitchell is a revelation. She does a great job distinguishing the two Melindas, who are subtle variations on the same character; she's especially compelling as the deeply neurotic Melinda who wrecks everyone's life. Allen has frequently been fascinated by the character of the seductive, destructive woman; think of Charlotte Rampling in Stardust Memories, Judy Davis in Husbands and Wives, even Christina Ricci in Allen's last misfire, Anything Else. Mitchell creates the definitive take on this dangerous character and blossoms into a radiant, mesmerizing actress. In the end, though, Melinda and Melinda is not quite as sharp or funny as Allen's vintage movies. It's like a B+ version of Manhattan or Hannah and Her Sisters. Still, with actresses like Mitchell and Sevigny to carry the piece, and Ferrell along for some comic relief, a B+ Woody Allen effort makes for a tasty diversion. --Stephen Farber

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