Barney’s Version is a well-made condensation of Mordecai Richler’s prize-winning boat anchor of a book. While sometimes a little scatter-brained and occasionally a bit uneven, this wise, witty character piece feels much lighter and breezier than it actually is. And that’s a major coup considering its 400-page source novel, 2-hour plus running time, and near three-decade span across two continents in the life of the titular Barney Panofsky (Paul Giamatti).

The story, told in the form of a grand candid confessional, comes from Barney’s point of view, and takes us through his extraordinarily colorful history. Barney is particularly compelled to tell his version of the story now because his sworn enemy has just published a tell-all book that uncovers many of the more sordid details of Barney’s past, including the numerous shady entrepreneurial ventures, the three failed marriages, and the mysterious, unsolved disappearance of his best friend Boogie (Scott Speedman), whom even Barney isn’t sure he didn’t murder.

As Barney tells his story, we’re taken on a meandering saunter down memory lane often clouded by his poor memory and ever-frequent drunkenness. We get the feeling he’s not only telling his story to enlighten us, but to somehow explain it to himself as well. Giamatti seems to excel in these roles where he’s allowed to turn a detestable, pathetic, schlub into a likeable, affectionate character. He did it wonderfully with his Miles Raymond in Sideways -- he does it even better here.

We learn about Barney through his three marriages, each representing a distinct “act” of his “three ring circus” of a life. Barney marries his first wife, the loopy, red-haired, suicidal artist, Clara (Rachelle LeFevre) while living “la vie de Boheme” in Rome during the ‘70s. Upon his return to Montreal years later, Barney ends up marrying the crass, Jewish Canadian princess, “The Second Mrs. P.” (Minnie Driver). But his wedding night isn’t even over before he meets the love-of-his-life, Miriam (Rosamund Pike) who will shortly become his third wife and the mother his children.

As Barney settles down with Miriam, director Richard J. Lewis’s film seamlessly sheds its dark, comedic undertones and takes on the persona of a grand love story. We realize the mood of the film is mirroring Barney’s transition from a lonely soul schlepping through the motions of life, to a man finally content with what he’s made of himself. The beautiful Rosamund Pike has a way of doing that to people!

But don’t be mistaken by thinking Barney is no longer the grumpy, profane, cigar chain-smoking wretch he used to be. It’s just that Giamatti has now made us care for his grumpy, profane, cigar chain-smoking wretchedness. Giamatti has a way of doing that with his characters. We know Barney’s heart is in the right place, it’s just that he’s so darn complicated, self-destructive, and dangerous, we’re always on edge wondering if he’ll eventually screw up this marriage too. It’s not long before he eventually does.

Richler’s novel is clearly meant to be one of those complicated, all-encompassing epic tales filled with many rich narrative layers and colorful characters. And those are very difficult stories to adapt into successful screenplays. We’ve seen it done to varying degrees of success through the years, including decades ago with The World According to Garp, then later in Forrest Gump, and most recently with Benjamin Button. But while those films carried heavy messages and were steeped in tedious social or moral significance, Michael Konyves's screenplay isn’t out to teach a lesson, it’s not a morality tale and it’s not about how life should be lived. It’s just a story about the joys of being alive and about finding compassion in our lives. Many will find fault with its pointless plot, but watching Giamatti once again bring sweetness, compassion and lovability to a miserable cad of a character is a beautiful thing to watch.

(Released by Sony Pictures Classics and rated “R” for language and some sexual content.)

Review also posted at www.franksreelreviews.com.