An advertisement for Vacationing in Spain

Rating: 9/10 (29 January 2009)

Vicky Cristina Barcelona Woody Allen can add another masterpiece to his collection with VCB. Allen is remarkable in catching the beauty of Spain, and the beauty of his characters at the same time. Once again Allen takes on the topic of relationships, but this time he makes his characters even more disoriented with what love really is. Javier Bardem, fresh off his stellar performance in No Country for Old Men, plays Juan Antonio a Spanish painter. Antonio is the prototypical "Don Juan" and he oozes with European masculinity. It takes no time for the friends Vicky and Cristina to both fall under his spell. The perplexing love triangle turns into a "love square" when Antonio's volatile ex-wife (Penelope Cruz) reappears into his life. Allen does such fascinating job at showcasing the culture and landscape of Spain, that it makes every viewer want to jump on a flight to Barcelona tomorrow. Strong acting performances make this the best Allen movie since Match Point. 9/10