Woody Allen has spent his entire career examining the relationships between men and women, between friends and lovers. Vicky Cristina Barcelona, his latest film, is a vibrantly romantic portrait of two women caught up in the lives of people in ways they never expected. It is also, thanks to the beautiful architecture and scenery of the eponymous city, a visually captivating film.
This past decade has not been especially fruitful for Allen. With the exceptions of Small Time Crooks and Match Point, the director has failed to connect with either audiences or critics in recent years. This is especially disappointing because Allen has helmed some of American cinema’s greatest films, including his trio of late-‘70s masterpieces Annie Hall, Interiors, and Manhattan. Very few directors are able to document personal emotional upheaval and moral confusion as elegantly as Allen. Fortunately, Vicky Cristina Barcelona should reverse the recent downturn in the director’s stock.
The story revolves around two women, Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson), who decide to spend the summer at the home of Vicky’s relative Judy (Patricia Clarkson) and her husband Mark (Kevin Dunn), two expatriates living in Barcelona. An artist named Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem) sees the two women at an art exhibit, and later suggests that the three of them hop on a small plane and visit his hometown of Ovieda. Juan Antonio develops relationships with both women, though these bonds are considerably different. All of this is complicated by the fact that Vicky is engaged to be married and Juan Antonio is still troubled by his unhinged ex-wife (Penelope Cruz). The trio’s trip to Ovieda unleashes a series of large and small crises for the characters.
Surprisingly, though it investigates serious matters of the heart, Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a very funny movie, and it doesn’t sink to using obvious or cliché humor to make the audience laugh. Since most of the film is footage of people in conversation, credit should be given to the deft script for enlivening what could have become a tired vacationer’s tale.
Article comments
1 - Serge
I'd like inform you that Scarlett Johansson (actress) actually is a clone from original person, who has nothing with acting career. Clone was created illegally using stolen biomaterial. Original Scarlett Galabekian last name is nice, CHRISTIAN young lady.
I'll tell more,those clones (it's not only 1) made in GERMANY - world leader manufacturer of humans clones, it's in Ludwigshafen am Rhein, N. Bavaria, Mr.Helmut Kohl home town. You can't even imaging the scale of the cloning activity. But warning, H.Kohl staff 100% controlling their clones spreading around the world, they're NAZI type disciplined and mind controlled, be careful get close with clones you will be controlled too.
Original family didn't authorize any activity with stolen biomaterials, no matter what form it was created in, it's all need to be back to original family control in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in LA. Controlling clones is US military operation. Original Scarlett never was engaged, by the way