Woody Allen's View of Love, Infatuation and Relationships

Rating: 8/10 (31 January 2009)

Woody Allen has written and directed another European based film that feels like a view across the pond toward America: Allen is still Allen, but with the comparison of European attitudes with American narcissism makes this little film a bit more bitter than most of his others. As with most of Allen's movies, as fine as they are there are usually some annoying elements. In VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA that element is in the presence of an unseen narrator (Christopher Evan Welch) who provides the bridges among the various aspects of the film, bridges that in the presence of such a fine cast are unnecessary in fleshing out the characters and their odd situations.
Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) are best friends who have elected to spend a summer in Barcelona: Vicky intends to pursue her studies of Catalan art and architecture while Cristina needs to recover from her completion of a disappointing 12 minute film. Vicky is a pragmatist engaged to a 'good prospect' named Doug (Chris Messina) while Cristina longs for the unusual - something that will fill the gap in her perception that she is without talent. The two girls meet a famous artist Juan Antonio Gonzano (Javier Bardem) who, recovering from a strangely abusive marriage to the flamboyant Maria Elena (Penélope Cruz), puts the make on the two girls for a ménage a trois. Vicky is disgusted, Cristina is fascinated and somehow the trio is off for a wild weekend that turns into a strange interplay of even stranger personality types. Juan loves both, beds both, and problems arise - especially when his still beloved tempestuous Maria Elena arrives on the scene. Just about every variation of relationships is explored during this film with the audience more than willing to go along with the twists and turns that never cease to surprise and entertain.
Once again Javier Bardem proves he is one of our strongest actors on the screen and Penélope Cruz lights up the story like a rocket. Watching them both is reason enough to see this film. As for the script, Allen allows each of the characters to reference an aspect of Allen's own quirks, and in the end we have indeed heard yet another diatribe of how Woody Allen sees himself and the people who enter his sphere. The film is colorful, rich in fine music, and blessed with an impeccable cast. If it just didn't superimpose that narrator as a tour guide....Grady Harp