Woody Allen searches for love in the heart of Spain

Rating: 9/10 (2 October 2008)

Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Directed by Woody Allen.
Starring Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz.
Woody Allen's latest film finds the writer/director exploring love and all of its manifestations through the experiences of two American tourists on summer vacation in Barcelona. The girls, Vicky (Hall) and Cristina (Johansson, in her third Allen film), both fall for Juan Antonio, a local painter and lothario who still mourns the disastrous failure of his marriage. Antonio (Bardem) is something of a conundrum to both girls: Cristina, because she has always enjoyed strange and mysterious relationships, and Vicky, because she never has.
After a secret affair with Juan Antonio, Vicky tries to force herself to abide by her old life plan. She is engaged to a successful New York businessman but suddenly finds herself doubting what she thought she always wanted out of love and life. Cristina picks up where Vicky leaves off, falling in love and eventually moving in with Juan Antonio. She is all the while unsure of her new life with the charming painter, especially when his ex-wife (Cruz) comes back into the picture.
Penelope Cruz is wonderful as Maria Elena, a mentally unstable muddle of emotions. She and Bardem have great chemistry, during tender moments of intimacy and heated bouts of screaming. She stirs things up just as the film starts to get a bit too predictable. Her scene with Johansson's Cristina, developing photos in a darkroom, is very sensual and not soon forgotten once the movie ends.
The film is typical of Woody Allen with its sharp dialogue and fully fleshed-out characters. However, "Barcelona" is slightly hindered by unnecessary narration from Christopher Evan Welch. The commentary adds nothing to the picture and sometimes glosses over scenes that require more attention.
Allen tends to be a better writer than director, but he really utilizes Spain's beautiful city as a fantastic backdrop to his picture. He manages to do for Barcelona what he used to do for New York so many years ago. By filming the city's culture instead of generic monuments, Allen manages to unearth its heart. If Spain's tourism industry sees a spike in visits to Barcelona, they ought to send him a check.
"Vicky Cristina Barcelona" is a solid, thought-provoking film that is a great addition to the long list of Woody Allen's works. It is not unlike his 1977 classic "Annie Hall" in its comical and sometimes unsatisfactory view of love, although Allen tends to focus more on cynicism than witticism these days. No matter, at least he still has something interesting to say.
Final Grade: B+