Woody Knows About Life...and Love.

Rating: 9/10 (23 July 2009)

You don't have to be a film student or a die-hard Woody Allen fan to be aware of his philosophy: life is messy, ruthless, and unforgiving...but that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun -- or at least try to. In "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," life seems like a helluva lot of fun at times, and at other times (not surprisingly) it's a complete and utter disaster.
The funny thing is, the fun AND the disaster seem to stem from love. Woody's OBSESSED with love; he's always trying to dissect, interpret, define and re-define it. No matter what the year, perspective or location, he seems to come to the same conclusion:
There are no answers in love. You can be head over heels about someone one day, and be totally indifferent to them the next. You can think you're in love with someone, when in actuality you merely lust for them. You can think you're lusting after someone, when you're actually in love with them. You can love someone, but not be IN love with them. You can be IN love with someone, and it can still go wrong. Something can still be missing.
These are the ideas and questions that Woody raises, and continues to raise. We're confronted by many of them in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona." As Juan Antonio, Javier Bardem serves as a stabilizing force for this film. Having seen "No Country for Old Men" long before "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," I had my doubts about Bardem in this type of role. But if he doesn't nail the smooth, suave, mysterious Spaniard, he comes pretty damn close. Bardem had to be good in order for this film to work, and he came through.
Bardem is necessary as a stabilizing force because he's the male character at the center of it all. Sure there's Doug (played easily by Chris Messina), Vicky's husband, but he's more of a caricature than a character. What I mean by that is, Doug serves as a film-long symbol of the average, working, corporate-world American. He's a dime a dozen, and Woody's not trying to hide that. In fact, he tries pretty hard to make sure that we understand Doug's lack of originality.
Juan Antonio is quite the contrary: a charming, tall, European painter who always seems to say the right thing at exactly the right time. There's a mystique to Juan Antonio, and seemingly all women are drawn to him. But are they drawn to him, or does he coerce them? Does his success come naturally, or philosophically? Just more questions that Woody raises.
The women all performed admirably in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona." In my opinion, Academy Award winner Penelope Cruz WAS deserving as Maria Elena, though many have since criticized the Academy for its selection. I'll respectfully disagree with the haters out there, because I measure a great performance in a very simple way:
Was it memorable? Sure there's more to it than that, but that's the easiest way to make a fair assessment. And yes, Maria Elena IS memorable. She's a superwoman of sorts -- talented in painting, photography, poetry, and sex -- and yet she's frail at the same time. She's a strutting contradiction, full of vivacity, passion, and personal demons. Cruz is mesmerizing, just as Woody wanted her to be.
Scarlett Johansson oozes sexuality as Cristina, and serves as the midway point between Maria Elena, and Vicky. She has some of Vicky's naturally embedded American conservatism in her, but she also has some of Maria Elena's creativity, and open-mindedness. In the end, she doesn't know what she wants out of life, or love. There's much Woody in her end result.
And it's getting late and I'm tired of writing, so I'll wrap it up here. Just rent "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" when you get the chance. It's locales are magnetic and envy-inducing, and the questions it raises will keep your mind busy for hours...or maybe days.