Vicky Christina Barcelona

(2008)

Directed by

Woody Allen

Reviewed by Todd Plucknett

Vicky Christina Barcelona is the new film by Woody Allen, his second to be released this year. After his disappointing crime drama Cassandra’s Dream, Allen returned to the genre that he is most comfortable in, the conversation-based comedy-drama. This time, Allen sets his film in Spain.

The two female leads are Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Christina (Scarlett Johansson). Vicky is a traditional woman, engaged to be married to Doug (Chris Messina) and seemingly satisfied with her current state. Christina, following an acting bit a 12 minute film that she hates, is a woman who claims to not know what she wants from life, but knows what she does not want. These two women are invited to Barcelona for the summer by Judy (Patricia Clarkson) and Mark (Kevin Dunn), who provide for Vicky and Christina a place to stay and the opportunity to attend some art exhibits and other tourist activities. At an art show, artist Juan Antonio (Oscar-winner Javier Bardem) catches the eye and intrigue of Christina, when it is revealed that he was involved in a messy divorce with an attempted murder. Later that night, Juan Antonio notices the constant glances from Christina, so he confronts the two women, offering a weekend with him in Oviedo for wine, sight-seeing, and sex. Christina is fascinated by him, when Vicky is firmly against his proposal. Vicky and Christina agree to go on the trip eventually.

While in Oviedo, both Vicky and Christina are more or less seduced by Juan Antonio’s charm, each being left with a lasting impression after the trip. Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz), Juan Antonio’s ex-wife, returns to the picture after an attempted suicide. Christina, Maria Elena, and Juan Antonio develop an intriguing erotic relationship. Vicky is left very confused and suddenly unhappy with her standard life, feeling more affection toward Juan Antonio than she thought was possible. These relationships and issues become the basic core of the film.

Throughout Vicky Christina Barcelona, there is a very poorly used narration, even stranger than when the technique was used in Little Children. It really only serves as a bridge between scenes, which only brings the audience to become aware of what we either already knew or what we could have easily figured out. The acting is very strong. Hall shines in the film’s best performance, playing the conflicted and complex Vicky. Johansson is good in her third Allen role. Bardem suits his part well, acting against type as the cool and appealing Juan Antonio. Clarkson is great as always, and Cruz may very well get nominated for her daring and brilliant portrayal of the crazy and intimidating Maria Elena. Allen really has a gift for bringing out stellar performances from his supporting females. Allen’s script is well written, which is complimented by his signature deep conversation and riveting relationships. In addition, the scenery and soundtrack are beautiful and really add to the overall scope of the picture.

There are a few problems with this film, however. The narration really takes away from the overall atmosphere. It just does not fit here. Some of the content is repetitive and sometimes tiring. Some of the characters’ actions are just not rational or believable. Doug is the only really logical character, but he seems to be just too disconnected and oblivious. These negatives could not completely bring down Allen’s picture, however. It is one of his finer efforts in recent memory. The conversations are hypnotic and always interesting, and all of the characters are engaging and well-developed. It begins to fall apart at the end, but it still is able to hold its own, with some truly great scenes mostly overpowering the lesser ones. It is a fine effort by Allen, and hopefully he will continue in this genre, where he truly thrives.

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