Vicky Cristina Barcelona written and directed by Woody Allen (2008)
1 September 2008I had wanted to see this film since I heard about the crazy love scenes between Scarlett Johansson and Penélope Cruz, and how sexy this movie was, and I have thought that with Match Point, Woody Allen had really made a turn around (though I was not impressed by Scoop), and I did enjoy this film, but not how I thought it would. First off it does have crazy sexual relationships, but the film really is not at all sexy. It is more enjoyable because it is funny, and not funny in a normal comedy sense but because these characters are just so crazy and completely self destructive. I laughed allot, but am not sure I was supposed to. Certainly an interesting film with some good performances and not only is Javier Bardem very good, and proving himself a top actor, but Penélope Cruz is amazing as this completely over the edge woman. Her performance is the thing that makes this film so enjoyable, and is really the only thing holding this film together. A slight annoyance was the voice over (Christopher Evan Welch) talks so much like Woody Allen I almost thought it should have either been him doing it, or it should have been someone who changed it up so it didn’t sound so much like one of his voice overs.
Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlet Johansson) go to Barcelona for the summer to stay with Vicky’s relative’s, the married Judy (Patricia Clarkson) and her husband Mark Nash (Kevin Dunn). They are best friends, but quite different in love. Vicky is engaged to the reliable Doug (Chris Messina) and wants life to be structured and make sense. She is in Barcelona to study Catalan culture for her dissertation, and look at the Gaudy architecture she likes so much, as well as hear as much Spanish Guitar as she can. Cristina meanwhile is a free spirit, who likes hard relationships and hurt, and doesn’t really know what she wants to do. She has just spent 6 months working a 12 minute short film on love, which she hates, and is now just wandering around taking digital photos. At an art exhibit with Judy Cristina notices an artist named Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem) and likes him right away. At dinner that night she keeps looking at him, and he comes over and invites the two to go away with him for the weekend. Vicky is incensed, but Cristina agrees right away, and the three end up going in a plane that Juan flies for a vacation. The first day the sight see and drink, and when Cristina comes to Juan’s room, she ends collapsing with food poisoning and an ulcer she has, and has to stay in bed for the weekend. Vicky and Juan spend the rest of the weekend together, even visiting his father, and the eventually make passionate love, but on their return they don’t mention it, and Juan starts seeing Cristina.
REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS…
Vicky gets a call from her fiancee Doug who wants to come out and have their wedding there, though she isn’t too pleased about it, but agrees, and he comes out. She ends up seeing Juan, and is angry he never called her, but she is getting married, so…
Cristina ends up moving in with Juan, and things are going great, until his ex wife who he still love, but can’t live with, María Elena (Penélope Cruz) moves in with them because she has attempted suicide. María Elena is off the wall crazy, and doesn’t like or trust Cristina at all. She thinks she will ruin him, and steal from him.
Slowly though their relationships get better. Cristina and María grow close, and María starts getting Cristina to be a better photographer, and eventually they make love, and then all 3 become lovers. The ex’s being able to be together because of Cristina being there.
Meanwhile Judy has confided in Vicky that she no longer wants to be with her husband, and she finds about Juan, and wants to hook them up, even though Vicky is now officially married.
Cristina realizes she isn’t happy in the wonderful relationship, and decides to leave and go to France. This leaves Juan and María Elena together, and the break up because they can’t be together alone. Juan is now free.
Judy gets Juan to meet Vicky and they set up a meeting just before she is supposed to leave with Doug. She goes and things start to get hot, when María Elena shows up with a gun and Vicky gets a flesh wound in the hand, and leaves.
Vicky, Doug and Cristina leave for the US, Vicky in the relationship she wanted, though may not be happy with, and Cristina still searching and leaving a trail in her wake.
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Interesting, and surprisingly funny, and really not at all sexy.
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