"It isn't how you get there, it's what you do along the way that counts."
"It isn't how you get there, it's what you do along the way that counts."
Member since:21.02.2007
Reviews:268
Members who trust:31
Director: Woody Allen Writer: Woody Allen Genre: Drama - Romance - Comedy Country: Spain/USA Certification: 12+ Language: English/Catalan/Spanish DVD Release: 22nd June, 2009
MAIN CAST:
Rebecca Hall [Vicky] Scarlett Johansson [Cristina] Javier Bardem [Juan Antonio Gonzalo] Penélope Cruz [Maria Elena]
Although open-minded, Vicky is more of a traditionalist who long ago decided that she would forego on love and passion in order to acquire stability and security. Her idea of a good relationship is one that is based on respect and trust. Majoring in Catalan Living, she is in Barcelona in order to work on her thesis and to get up front and personal with Gaudi's work. Engaged to be married to a man she respects and loves on a somewhat platonic level, she is quite content with her life.
Cristina, although Vicky's best friend, is everything Vicky is not--she is spontaneous, passionate, willing to take risks in love and life, however, she has no idea what she wants from a relationship. The only thing she is certain about is that she doesn't want what Vicky wants... an empty marriage that has nothing going for it except mutual respect.
The first few days in Barcelona are filled with the normal activities - sightseeing, getting acquainted with the local food and drink, shopping, and the usual museum-hopping and picture-taking... until they attend an art exhibition and Cristina falls for local artist, Juan Antonio, who possesses quite a colourful background and is well-known not only for
his work, but for his explosive relationship with hot-blooded ex-wife Maria Elena, who, incidentally, attempted to stab him just before they called it quits.
Although intrigued by Juan Antonio, Cristina does not approach him during the exhibition. However, as fate would have it, the seductive Spaniard shows up at the restaurant Cristina and Vicky go to after the exhibition, and Juan Antonio approaches their table with an offer that will shock and appal Vicky, but intrigue Cristina all the more.
As the heat of a torrid Barcelona summer engulfs Vicky and Cristina, the two women will fall for the irresistible Spaniard, however, neither one will be quite prepared for the volatile ex-wife's return...
'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' is, of course, a Woody Allen creation... not to everyone's liking, mostly because the man's disgruntled view of humanity and sarcasm can be quite off-putting, and, in all honesty, the viewer often gets the impression that he is, in some sort of nebulous way, talking down to his audience--this said, even the most anti-Allen activist will begrudgingly admit that Woody Allen does sometimes get it right... and this is one of those times.
The story is sheer brilliance, the dialogue is incredibly witty and funny... and yes, I still don't like Woody Allen after having viewed this movie, I never will, but I begrudgingly admit that he has won me over [I went down fighting] with this incredibly naïve and simplistic film that takes a good hard look at love, examines the capriciousness and volatility of a woman in love, and manages, whether we like it or not, to make us question ourselves, our choices and our lives.
There is an immaturity to this movie that is very much Woody Allen, a reluctance to linger on a serious subject overly long, and the viewer can't help but appreciate the genius behind it all because, by refusing to linger, the story opens itself up to new possibilities, new experiences--new emotions.
'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' is an incredibly direct and simple title for an incredibly direct and simple film; however, there is nothing simple about the emotional smorgasbord included in the ingredients:
Rebecca Hall, who plays Vicky, although not a well-known actress [Frost/Nixon], is the only 'no nonsense' and sane ingredient in the mix, and the viewer learns to appreciate her 'offishness' more towards the end of the movie when sanity returns and the story winds down.
Scarlett Johansson, who plays Cristina, is not a newcomer ['He's Just Not That Into You' - 'The Other Boleyn Girl' - 'The Black Dahlia'] and it shows... she fills the screen with her meticulously perfected image of the girl next door who is pretty, sweet, inexperienced, and totally clueless--which can be slightly dull if not tempered with spontaneity and courage. Cristina is the sparkle, the jewel, the only ingredient in this movie that shines brighter than the sun, the one who is charming, amusing, simplistic, undemanding and courageous.
The sexy Spaniard, Juan Antonio, who is played by Javier Bardem, is not your regular heartthrob... he's somewhat imperfect, a bit like a diamond in the rough, and although he comes across as the insufferable macho male who rubs Vicky the wrong way while seducing the likes of Cristina, his character possesses incredible depth, more than Vicky, or the viewer, initially gives him credit for. Juan Antonio is an artist, he is sensitive, caring, and capable of profound love, however, there are times when the viewer glimpses a side that is slightly shallow and conceited, a side that is fleeting and never really sticks. Incredibly talented, Javier Bardem, well known for his awe-inspiring performances in 'Love in the Time of Cholera', 'No Country for Old Men' and 'Goya's Ghosts', is no less inspiring in this film. He is the active ingredient, the central character around whom revolves desire, love and jealousy... he is also the character who causes others to question themselves and their beliefs.
Needless to say that the volatile ingredient is Maria Elena, played by Penélope Cruz--although she doesn't make an appearance until halfway through the movie, her arrival is singularly explosive and wreaks havoc upon the, till then, staid and uneventful lives of the other characters. She is passionate, exuberant, bold and brash, and possesses conflagratory mood swings that are downright dangerous. Maria Elena is somewhat unhinged [putting it lightly] - unable to control her anger she is a danger to herself and to those who surround her... however; there is also a vulnerability to her that is, although uncharacteristic, extremely appealing. Like all of her roles, ['Elegy' - 'Volver' - 'Sahara' - 'Vanilla Sky'] Cruz plays the passionate, hot-blooded and impetuous seductress to perfection. Her smiles melt the coldest heart even as her eyes spit out daggers... she's incredibly volatile - the perfect spicy ingredient.
'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' is an unpretentious film [unlike its creator] that is not only thought-provoking, but allows for laughter as well... and accompanied by some of the most exquisite scenery [Barcelona] and hypnotizing music [Latin guitar riffs], this movie is a winner in my books.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: John Duigan - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Charlize Theron, Stuart Townsend, Penelope Cruz
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
It's the film that critics are hailing as Woody Allan's return to form. Vicky Cristina ... more
Barcelona has become one of the most talked about movies of the year. A sizzling erotically charged relentlessly hilarious and touching romantic comedy that won Pe...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
It?s the film that critics are hailing as Woody Allan?s return to form. Vicky Cristina ... more
Barcelona has become one of the most talked about movies of the year. A sizzling, erotically charged, relentlessly hilarious and touching romantic comedy that won Pe...
It?s the film that critics are hailing as Woody Allan?s return to form. Vicky Cristina ... more
Barcelona has become one of the most talked about movies of the year. A sizzling, erotically charged, relentlessly hilarious and touching romantic comedy that won Pe...
Apr 28th, 2009
very helpful by (100%):
