Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) Movie Review

After January’s established, but still mediocre thriller Cassandra’s Dream, Woody Allen is back to his special wit of romantic relationships in a the beautiful country of Spain with the amusing Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Allen has made his previous three films in London, and now departs to the mesmerizing beauty of Barcelona with this film. However, he has confirmed that his next film will return him to New York.

The film follows two American best friends, Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson), who decide to spend their summer in Barcelona Spain with Vicky’s relatives (Patricia Clarkson and Kevin Dunn). Vicky is the conservative one, who is working on her thesis, and is engaged to the square Doug (Chris Messina). Cristina on the other hand is the more free-spirited one that loves to experiment and constantly in and out of relationships. Over dinner one night, the two are approached by a confident and suave artist named Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem). The artist asks both girls point blank if they would like to go on a getaway with him to look at incredible art, dinning, wine, and of course to make love. Vicky is immediately appalled, while Cristina is intoxicated with his offer, though she makes no guarantees of sleeping with him. Eventually, both girls are off with the mysterious painter, who is rumored to have a violent past with his ex-wife Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz). Things do not go along as expect on the trip, in which both women end up falling for Juan Antonio. Not wanting to pursue Vicky in case of hurting her engagement with Doug, Juan Antonio begins to become very fond of Cristina. However, everything changes when his takes in his ex-wife to live with him and Cristina after she attempts suicide.

Allen captures all the beauties and galore of the Spain setting and even divulges his typical Woody Allen characters into the cultural remedies of the country. The film is shot beautifully in warm colors, without one hue of gray, black, or any dark color. Vicky Cristina Barcelona is Allen getting back to his character traits of relationships, and the film is also very funny at times. The characters do not have pages of depth, but they are defined enough by Allen to understand their sometimes agonizing actions. The film also has the subtle Woody Allen momentum tics of unexpected nature, which goes in full throttle with the arrival of Penelope Cruz’s Maria Elena character. The real downside of this film is a horrible voiceover narration by Christopher Evan Welch that adds absolutely nothing to the film, except an easy way for Allen to past the time. It seems that Allen wanting to the narration to work in the pace and development of the characters, such as the way Wes Anderson effectively uses his narrator, but it drenches the film much more than it helps.

Allen’s collaborator actress, Scarlett Johansson plays Cristina in her third straight Woody Allen film. Johansson is a beauty, but she does not have much range at all, which is very evident when she is in the prescience of talents of Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz. Cruz, as the crazed wife Maria Elena, is a firecracker of anger and emotion and is welcomed addition to the second half of the film. Bardem, fresh off his Oscar for No Country for Old Men, is charming and endearing as Juan Antonio and the real life couple shares some great comedic moments in this film. Rebecca Hall is also stellar as the conservative, but torn Vicky, who should receive a lot more roles after this film. Other notable cast members include Patricia Clarkson and Kevin Dunn as Vicky’s relatives that reside in Barcelona.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a typical Woody Allen movie that is a lot about relationships in the vast setting of Spain. Bardem and Cruz shine in the film that is a welcomed return to comedy for Allen, after his departure into thrillers with Match Point, Scoop, and Cassandra’s Dream. The film’s terrible narration does not kill the film, but it does hurt it.