Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
Directed by Woody Allen
Length: 96 minutes
Rated PG-13 for mature thematic content involving sexuality, and smoking




You can usually tell when you are watching a Woody Allen movie, and Vicky Cristina Barcelona is no exception. His latest work continues his recent departure from the dirty, urban films set in New York of his earlier career to the new European centered films centering on beautiful people and their insanities. While most people have an opinion on Allen, love him or hate him, lots of attention was generated last year, specifically concerning a scene involving Scarlet Johansson, Penelope Cruz, and a dark room. But let me warn you, though this movie oozes with sexuality, it is the typical Allen film: lots of dialogue involving neurotic and damaged people that ultimately ends unexpectedly.

The movie concerns two girls, Vicky and Cristina, who travel to Barcelona for the summer. Along the way, they meet and ultimately both fall for a dashing Spaniard named Juan Antonio who gives the girls a summer of passion, art, and romance. Woody Allen is known for drawing inspiration from his muses, his latest victim being the lovely and buxom Scarlet Johansson (Iron Man 2, He's Just Not That Into You). Johansson plays Cristina, the artsy, insatiable beauty that doesn't know what she wants but knows what she doesn't. Vicky, played by Rebecca Hall (Please Give, Frost/Nixon), is the art major who is sure in her ways and her destiny to marry the corporate worker who will give her a life of luxury, but alas, with no passion. The girls' time in Spain is changed when they meet the suave "Don Juan" character of Juan Antonio, played by last year's Oscar winning Javier Bardem (Biutiful, No Country for Old Men), an artist who promises the girls a weekend of wine, art, and beautiful love making. Long story short, person A sleeps with person B, person C sleeps with person D & E (separate and together), and so forth and so on.

You would think that a movie centered around such passion and sensuality would eventually lead to some climax and ultimate resolution; but alas, that is the problem with Vicky Cristina Barcelona. All the progress that the protagonist undergoes, all the growth and plot development, ends in naught. The ending, sadly, leaves you wondering, "Okay? So what did they learn?" It's hard to watch a movie that truly is slow throughout, but it is even more maddening to watch a film that feels as if the characters never learn or grow from their experiences. I can accept mistakes, affairs, and fights if it leads to organic growth. In the end, it feels as if Allen was simply trying to be more artistic by simply ending the movie right where we started at.

In addition, I typically enjoy watching Oscar winning performances; after all, there is a reason these talented actors and actresses are often nominated and win. Therefore, after waiting half of the film to see Penelope Cruz (Nine, Elegy), as the psychotic and unstable Maria Elena, I really wondered what was so special as to garner the golden statute. Yes, you feel the volatile passion coursing through Cruz's character, but was it really award worthy? Unfortunately, I have to conclude the performance, while good, is not what I would expect from an Oscar winner.

What really makes this film enjoyable is the luscious landscapes and beautiful scenery. I have a friend who just spent the last semester in Barcelona; and after watching this film, I truly am jealous at the magnificent beauty found in the Old World. While Vicky Cristina Barcelona may fail to deliver on its promise of great performances and a great film, it certainly isn't a wash. It's a decent movie filled with beautiful people in a beautiful location. While you certainly won't think this is the greatest film ever, it can be a decent way to spend the night wishing you were away in Spain being swept off your feet by a suave Spaniard (apply the sex desirable to you).

Final Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Favorite Quote:
Juan Antonio: "Speak English!"

Oscar Winners:
Best Supporting Actress-Penelope Cruz