Dull, but the story's not bad and the performances are good

Rating: 7/10 (18 August 2008)

The latest Woody flick is set in Spain, where friends Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) both get involved with an artist (Javier Bardem). Both women sleep with Bardem, but eventually Johansson ends up with him. Hall goes back to her boring finacé, though her brief affair has distorted her view of her life. Meanwhile, Johansson has to deal with Bardem's crazy ex-wife (Penelope Cruz), who is invited back home after a suicide attempt. The story, though perhaps overcomplicated, is a good one. Unfortunately, Allen kind of spoils it by including a bland voice-over narration that over-explains the plot. The narration distances the audience from the action, and the film started to drag for me. And in the end, it felt like nothing much had happened. I didn't care and I doubt the movie will remain long in my memory. However, that's not to say that it's a bad movie. It's a moderate failure for the long-suffering Allen, but it's a success for most of the actors. In particular, I think Penelope Cruz's performance should be considered award-worthy. It'll probably be worth catching on DVD, but I wouldn't especially recommend you be in any rush.