Vicky Cristina Barcelona is not set in New York and it isn’t loaded with quirkiness or neurosis; that said, it has most other archetypes that Woody Allen films are known by, viz. self-loathing intellectuals, love and heartbreak. And though it never managed to even come close to the sheer brilliance of his masterpieces, it nonetheless garnered far more support vis-à-vis his other recent works. The movie is about two art-loving friends (and, unsurprisingly New Yorkers) who have come to spend their summer vacation at Barcelona, the cultural melting point of Spain. Vicky (Rebecca Hall) is a happily engaged girl who ends up having a one-night-stand with Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem), a self-destructive painter. The more extroverted Cristina (Scarlet Johansson), on the other hand, moves in with the charming and erudite artist, only for her blissful life to be disrupted by the arrival of Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz), Juan Antonio’s suicidal and stunning ex-wife. The film is lovingly shot and has a leisurely (even tranquil) feel to its narrative. And Woody, with his eye for detail where portraying a city goes, managed to capture Barcelona with all its glorious details, while also painting with broad strokes the tragedies of heart therein.
Director: Woody Allen
Genre: Drama/Romantic Drama
Language: English
Country: US/Spain
