If you had to pick a single word to describe the characters Paul Giamatti (pictured right with Barney's Version co-stars Rosamund Pike and Minnie Driver) has played, you could do worse than “gruff”. Or, perhaps, “cantankerous”. While certain people quite close to this interview will always appreciate films about grumpy, balding, middle aged men with a little extra padding and some facial hair, Paul’s not overly concerned about being typecast.
“I think part of it is people have just seen me do it, and that becomes what people come to me with. I think it's partially that. I've been through so many cycles in my life; I went through a period where I played nothing but priests.” He laughs. “I played priests ALL the time.”
Success came some time after the ‘priest stage’ – “yes, that didn’t quite catch on” – and, while Paul’s self-deprecating about the late career – “it’s almost over” – he does acknowledge that a little maturity has probably helped.
“I don't know what it would have been like to have that kind of success early on. I think it's probably a good thing to have it happen to you later on.”
It’s also perhaps given him a chance to play richer, more interesting roles.
“That's definitely true. I'm becoming the age of the characters that people wanted me to play that I couldn't. When I was 25 I couldn't play the 45 year old guy, but I've finally caught up with that, and it's funny it's coinciding with success. I'm playing the parts that are right for me.”
In the case of Barney, that’s not necessarily a flattering thing. Based on Mordecai Richler’s award-winning novel, it’s the tale of an extraordinary life with many highs and even more lows across several decades, two continents and one true love. Even though the story, as the title suggests, is very much Barney’s version of events, there’s no glossing over Barney’s personality problems.
“I know he's a bastard,” says Paul, “but I liked him a lot; certainly playing him. From the 'inside', he's a lot of fun. There's a lot of vitality to it. Subjectively... He's a dick.”
Crucially, while Barney clearly isn’t the easiest of people, there are some redeeming features, particularly his adoration of his third wife (played, exquisitely, by Rosamund Pike) and his relationship with his father (a typically brilliant turn by Dustin Hoffman).
“The likeable things about him are built into the script: the relationship he has with his father, the way he is towards his first wife. She's crazy but Barney marries her to take care of her, he has this sense of responsibility. [But] I think he's not terribly tolerant of bull. I think that's what it is. I think he's vulnerable, and a lot more sensitive than he likes let on, and I guess people who are like that try to cover it up.
“It's my pleasure in playing a guy who's difficult, and aggressive and belligerent, which are things I don't think I am, so it's nice to be able to do those things.”
There are, as Paul points out, certain benefits in playing such roles too: people expect him to be like that in real life.
“Totally, yes, but maybe that's a good thing because then people don't bother me at airports so much.” He laughs. “Maybe they think I'll go nuts on them.”
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the film – aside from the award-winning title performance – is the convincing ageing process. Through the film Barney ages across several decades. While he’s certainly aged in roles before – “John Adams was 60 years of ageing” – this had to be more subtle.
“[In John Adams] he was going blind and his teeth were rotting, so that was more extreme. The make-up in Barney’s Version was amazing. I really like wearing that stuff, it's vital when you do this kind of thing. The guy we had was French Canadian, a young guy, who's really good. He was really collaborative too. He didn't just come in and say ‘this is what I'm doing to your character,’ he'd come in and say ‘what do you think you want to look like?’ That stuff cues you, the physical weight of it helps, it's an incredibly important part of it. And the guy did a great job of making it look like me.”
It’s so realistic, in fact, that you can’t help but wonder if it was hard for Paul to see himself as an older man. He smiles. “Actually it was harder playing younger,” he admits. “That was more worrisome and more jarring because we all think we still look like that,” he laughs. “And then you realise ‘I DON’T look like that anymore! I look more like the old guy...’”