Vicky Cristina Barcelona (B+ or 3.5/4 stars)
2 friends, Vicky & Cristina (Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson) go to Spain for a summer holiday in 'Vicky Cristina Barcelona', directed by Woody Allen. While there, they both become enamored with a charismatic, seductive painter named Juan Antonio Gonzalo (Javier Bardem). Little do they know that his tempestuous ex-wife, Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz), has re-entered his life; ready to rock all of their worlds. This is Allen's best work in some 3 years. The acting is wonderful, the dialogue is intelligent, & it's a delicate film that lingers with you longer than you may expect.
Vicky is a rational girl. Sensible; looking forward to being married in a few months (or so it seems). She's in Barcelona to do research for her Master's thesis. Cristina is a free spirit. Sexually adventurous; hoping to 'find' herself in Barcelona. One night, they are approached by painter Juan Antonio at a restaurant. Using longing glances & subtle sweet talk, he's able to woo both girls (Vicky is initially incredibly hesitant) to go on a weekend trip with him to sightsee, eat well, & have sex. Cristina can't wait! This kind of random occurrence is what she's all about. But when she gets ill on their 1st night together, Juan & Vicky are left to themselves. She does not want to sleep with Juan. He knows she's engaged. He knows that intense persuasion may not work on her. However ...
No persuasion is needed. The evening goes better (for Vicky) than expected. She drinks, lightens up, and you can guess where this all leads. Situations arise where Cristina recovers from her spell, hooks up with Juan, & eventually moves in with him. Vicky doesn't mind because she thinks her one-night stand was a mistake (or does she?). To complicate things further, Vicky's fiancee shows up in Barcelona to surprise her with an impromptu wedding. And Juan's ex-wife (fresh from a recent suicide attempt) moves back in with both him & Cristina. It takes some time, but Cristina actually 'finds' herself when living this bohemian lifestyle with Juan & his ex. And Vicky appears to be happy with her beau. But underneath it all, they're not content. The only 'constant' in love is change. One minute you're happy, and the next, you contemplate that happiness. This is the message of the movie. And it's usually Woody Allen's melancholy take, anyway.
Allen does a great job setting up the characters, their idiosyncrasies, & their various relationships. Rebecca Hall is very impressive here in the 'Woody' role. He lives through her statuesque, feminine frame and she delivers his lines with sincerity, wit, & even a little heartbreak. Scarlett Johansson is stellar, as well. Because Scarlett is so beautiful & sexy, you'd think you could never believe her when she plays these off-beat, self-deprecating characters. But because you DO believe Cristina and understand her choices, this makes Johansson's performance all-the-more effective.
Javier Bardem is wonderful. He's charming, sensitive, self-assured, yet worrisome ... completely different from his maniacal turn in No Country for Old Men. He basically carries the movie. And Penelope Cruz gives a fiery performance as the tormented Maria Elena. Fiery because she's tried to kill him in the past. And yet, she also loves him enough to let him steal her glory as a famous artiste. Her repartee with Bardem & Johansson is great. And I particularly enjoyed her crack at the beauty of the Chinese language.
I do have some minor issues with the film: I know that Woody typically ends his films abruptly, but this one felt particularly clipped. Tonally, it's also a very casual film; lulling. Some would say 'casual even for Woody!'. Still, the film warrants massive praise. The Mediterranean setting is magnificent. There are terrific, even surprising moments in the script (though, not full of Allen's customary punch lines). The actors shine. And the meditation on love's complexities, oddities & configurations takes center stage once again. It's fascinating to watch the sacrifices people will make to be "happy".
Vicky is a rational girl. Sensible; looking forward to being married in a few months (or so it seems). She's in Barcelona to do research for her Master's thesis. Cristina is a free spirit. Sexually adventurous; hoping to 'find' herself in Barcelona. One night, they are approached by painter Juan Antonio at a restaurant. Using longing glances & subtle sweet talk, he's able to woo both girls (Vicky is initially incredibly hesitant) to go on a weekend trip with him to sightsee, eat well, & have sex. Cristina can't wait! This kind of random occurrence is what she's all about. But when she gets ill on their 1st night together, Juan & Vicky are left to themselves. She does not want to sleep with Juan. He knows she's engaged. He knows that intense persuasion may not work on her. However ...
No persuasion is needed. The evening goes better (for Vicky) than expected. She drinks, lightens up, and you can guess where this all leads. Situations arise where Cristina recovers from her spell, hooks up with Juan, & eventually moves in with him. Vicky doesn't mind because she thinks her one-night stand was a mistake (or does she?). To complicate things further, Vicky's fiancee shows up in Barcelona to surprise her with an impromptu wedding. And Juan's ex-wife (fresh from a recent suicide attempt) moves back in with both him & Cristina. It takes some time, but Cristina actually 'finds' herself when living this bohemian lifestyle with Juan & his ex. And Vicky appears to be happy with her beau. But underneath it all, they're not content. The only 'constant' in love is change. One minute you're happy, and the next, you contemplate that happiness. This is the message of the movie. And it's usually Woody Allen's melancholy take, anyway.
Allen does a great job setting up the characters, their idiosyncrasies, & their various relationships. Rebecca Hall is very impressive here in the 'Woody' role. He lives through her statuesque, feminine frame and she delivers his lines with sincerity, wit, & even a little heartbreak. Scarlett Johansson is stellar, as well. Because Scarlett is so beautiful & sexy, you'd think you could never believe her when she plays these off-beat, self-deprecating characters. But because you DO believe Cristina and understand her choices, this makes Johansson's performance all-the-more effective.
Javier Bardem is wonderful. He's charming, sensitive, self-assured, yet worrisome ... completely different from his maniacal turn in No Country for Old Men. He basically carries the movie. And Penelope Cruz gives a fiery performance as the tormented Maria Elena. Fiery because she's tried to kill him in the past. And yet, she also loves him enough to let him steal her glory as a famous artiste. Her repartee with Bardem & Johansson is great. And I particularly enjoyed her crack at the beauty of the Chinese language.
I do have some minor issues with the film: I know that Woody typically ends his films abruptly, but this one felt particularly clipped. Tonally, it's also a very casual film; lulling. Some would say 'casual even for Woody!'. Still, the film warrants massive praise. The Mediterranean setting is magnificent. There are terrific, even surprising moments in the script (though, not full of Allen's customary punch lines). The actors shine. And the meditation on love's complexities, oddities & configurations takes center stage once again. It's fascinating to watch the sacrifices people will make to be "happy".