Sense and Sensibility in Barcelona

Rating: 7/10 (22 December 2010)

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) was written and directed by Woody Allen. Allen's movies almost always feature a beautiful woman. This movie features three beautiful women, all of whom swirl around macho Javier Bardem. The plot reprises "Sense and Sensibility." Two friends visit Spain for the summer. Rebecca Hall, as Vicky, is reserved and cerebral. Scarlett Johansson as Cristina is outgoing and looking for adventure. They both get involved with Juan Antonio (Bardem), a brilliant painter and, no doubt, a brilliant lover. Into the mix Allen brings Penelope Cruz, Juan Antonio's ex-wife. She screams, she cries, she throws things. And yet, Juan Antonio can never really fall out of love with her.
There's lots of hopping in and out of bed, and lots of talk about hopping in and out of bed. However, the picture is PG-13, so there's not much sex on screen. Instead there are great shots of Barcelona and the small city of Orviedo in Asturias.
This film isn't much if you sit down and analyze it, but when you're watching it, it keeps your attention. I've never been wild about Scarlett Johansson as an actor, and Penelope Cruz relies too much on her beauty, and too little on her talent. However, I really admire Rebecca Hall whose tall elegance makes the other two women look tawdry.
I saw this film on DVD, and it worked well. Note: there's a howler in the movie. Vicky is supposed to be doing graduate work on Catalan culture, but she doesn't speak Spanish. Allen could have pulled this off by saying, "She only speaks Catalan." He didn't bother. What is Vicky doing in the library when we see her with a book in her hand? Looking at the pictures?