What Happens in Barcelona, Stays...

Rating: 6/10 (15 April 2017)

Two things I wasn't aware of coming into this film; 1. That Penelope Cruz won an Oscar for her role and 2. That this movie was directed by Woody Allen. These are also important factors I wasn't aware of, while rating the movie in its entirety.
The reason that matters, at least for me is that, the lack of that knowledge purged all bias and left only, pure and honest opinion.
I'm not a Woody Allen fan at all, and I rated this film 6/10 not knowing it was directed by him, which showed me that yeah, I'm actually, not all that fond of Woody Allen's films.
However, as for Penelope Cruz, I found her incredibly stunning in this movie. She embodied the character almost as if it were her own experiences. Without knowing she won an Oscar for this role, I find it now, as no surprise that she did.
Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johansson played their parts wonderfully also.
I did find the film a bit predictable perhaps, though some parts, Woody took a path I didn't expect, perhaps because I didn't quite agree with it; like Vicky seemingly feeling no remorse for what she did, but felt ambivalence rather. Also, if it weren't for Penelope's performance, this film would've lost me some 40 minutes in, even with Scarlett.
All in all, it was an interesting take on love and relationships... And at points, one couldn't help but envy Juan Antonio; the man had a good thing going, but on a serious note, Maria Elena gave the relationship a substance not known to man. 6/10.