Speaking Catalan with Woody Allen

Rating: 9/10 (9 September 2008)

Woody Allen's on a roll again.
Three years ago he gave us "Match Point," a nearly perfect thriller that was unlike anything he'd done before, and last year he directed the under-appreciated "Cassandra's Dream." With "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," he's proved that this new artistic reawakening is more than a passing phase.
Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) travel to Barcelona for a summer adventure. Vicky is treading water until she marries her fiancé. Cristina, a wilder spirit, is looking for love, or at least lust. Both become involved with a dashing Spanish artist (Javier Bardem) and find that the things they took for granted about themselves may not be true after all, and each leaves Barcelona a little less grounded than she was when she arrived.
What makes so many Woody Allen films good is the same for this one. He understands both the dynamics of human emotions and the needs of effective drama, so if he's got even half-way decent actors in his movies the material is bound to succeed. In "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," he's got better than half-way decent actors. Rebecca Hall is probably the least known of the cast, but she makes one of the biggest impressions, and the movie is "about" Vicky more than it is anyone. Johansson and Bardem are well cast and they act their parts well. But it's Penelope Cruz, who storms into the film at about the mid-way point as Bardem's unhinged ex-wife, who you'll most remember.
"Vicky Cristina Barcelona" explores the differences between the way different people approach relationships. It's about the difference between those who are artists and those who are not, and it's also about the difference between Americans and Europeans. But it's never judgemental and it doesn't generalize. Every single character, even those with little screen time, is fully developed and respected by both Allen and the actors who play them. This one's a winner.
Grade: A