No country for neurotic tourists.

Rating: 6/10 (30 January 2009)

Barcelona is a beautiful city, and frankly I'd watch Cruz or Johansson take the trash out. So there was little chance of this new Woody Allen film going wrong.
Allen is beyond both American and European clichés, so can play with both fairly well. We see two American tourists enchanted by the surface culture of Spain, and their own inward uncertainty.
Allen has the massive advantage of knowing he is only ever telling one story, so finds it easy to refresh his work. That is partly why most good actors will appear in his films and do a good job - as the well appointed cast does here. Rebecca Hall does a great turn as the modern female version of the classic nebbish.
Where does this fit into the Allen pantheon? As his power wanes, his control weakens and so the impact of the piece fades a little. But at many points this has the strength of Manhatten or Sisters, and is a welcome addition.