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TIFF 2010 Buyer’s Club: #10. Richard J. Lewis’ Barney’s Version

Not only TIFF bound, but a Venice film fest entry as well, the trailer sells the comedy as a potent concoction — the terrible twosome of Giamatti and Dustin Hoffman looks zany, offbeat authentically good. Could be a sleeper hit.

Eric Lavallée

Published on August 30, 2010

#10. Barney’s Version

The Gist: Dustin Hoffman, Paul Giamatti, Rosamund Pike, Minnie Driver, Rachelle Lefevre and Scott Speedman take turns in this pic based on the novel by Mordecai Richler, which tells the story of the politically incorrect, fully lived life of the impulsive, irascible and fearlessly blunt Barney Panofsky (Giamatti).

Director: Richard J. Lewis — Sales Agent: E1

Selling Point: Not only TIFF bound, but a Venice film fest entry as well, the trailer sells the comedy as a potent concoction — the terrible twosome of Giamatti and Dustin Hoffman looks zany, offbeat authentically good. Could be a sleeper hit.

Suited For: Distributor who doesn’t mind pitching to a certain older cinephile demo and large segment of the population: divorced folk.

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Eric Lavallée

Eric Lavallée is the founder, CEO, editor-in-chief, film journalist and critic at IONCINEMA.com (founded in 2000). Eric is a regular at Sundance, Cannes and TIFF. He has a BFA in Film Studies at the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema. In 2013 he served as a Narrative Competition Jury Member at the SXSW Film Festival. He was an associate producer on Mark Jackson's This Teacher (2018 LA Film Festival, 2018 BFI London). In 2022 he served as a New Flesh Comp for Best First Feature at the 2022 Fantasia Intl. Film Festival. Current top films for 2022 include Tár (Todd Field), All That Breathes (Shaunak Sen), Aftersun (Charlotte Wells).