Good, but could have been better (POSSIBLE SPOILERS)

Rating: 8/10 (1 September 2008)

I was very excited about seeing this film. I like Woody Allen's films (well, some more than others), and the trailer looked very promising. I am sad to say that by the time I reached the end of the movie I was a bit disappointed. The story was interesting - a nice touch of character study in the mix, the acting was great, the music, images, etc., were wonderful, but the narrator killed me. Why do we need a voice over to describe the characters' mentality, when we can figure them out by simply by listening to the dialogue and watching their actions, body language, etc.? I'm sure everyone could have figured out that Vicky prefers the rigidity of an organized and regulated existence while Christina wants to be a "free spirit", without any additional "book on tape" style explanations. Why did we need a voice over to tell us things like "Christina, Juan Antonio and Maria Elena decided to go on a bicycle trip in the country" when we can clearly see them on bikes on a country road? I suspect Allen was aiming for a whimsically ironic/sarcastic commentary to complement and lighten up the film into a comedy, but, if that's the case, I think the sarcasm was way too light, the comments were merely stating the obvious in boringly constructed phrases. In my opinion, the narrator was a very weak point in the film, it seemed to be there to make up for any shortcomings in the direction, just in case the film was unable to depict things in a truly cinematic and comedic manner.
I gave the film 8 stars because of the interesting story line and, most of all, for the acting. Had it not been for the terrific performances of Penelope Cruz (give that woman an Oscar, please) and Javier Bardem, and the refreshing presence of Scarlett Johansson and Rebcca Hall (loved her), I don't think this film would have done well at all.
Some people compared this film with Pedro Almodovar's. Ha. NO. WAY.