"Vicky Cristina Barcelona" is a winning trifecta of an excelente pelicula

Rating: 10/10 (21 August 2008)

The latest Woody Allen cinematic offering "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" sure sent out a few "Woodys" to male filmgoers. Two words: Scarlett Johansson! Is there a more cinematic picturesque acting beauty than Scarlett? I think not. However, I am not going to get let my male hormones invade the film review of this very witty and delightful film. "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" stars Javier Bardem as Juan Antonio, a Spaniard painter who meets and fancies two gorgeous American female tourists visiting Barcelona for the summer named (yea you guessed it) Vicky and Cristina. Rebecca Hall plays the perspicacious Vicky while Johansson plays the free-spirited Cristina. The unruffled Juan Antonio offers Vicky and Cristina a flight to a nearby Spanish town, good wine, exquisite food, and a "make love" offer that he does not want them to refuse. The latter would fall into the entitlement of "Vicky Cristina Off Pantalones". Vicky is engaged to be married to a cookie-cutter yuppie named Doug so she rejects the making love portion of the Juan Antonio proposition, while Cristina is all down for the Juan Antonio seduction expedition. Cristina eventually does develop a relationship with Juan Antonio, but a Spanish "new order" is intertwined in a "bizarre love triangle" fashion when Juan Antonio's fiery ex-wife Maria Elena gets in the picture that eventually converts into a ménage a trios Barcelona style; Si Baby! However, the film's central focus is on Vicky's insecurities & neurosis on her relationship with Doug and her uncontainable desirable feelings for Juan Antonio. I think Batman is no longer my summer movie hero, gotta make the change for Juan Antonio; three beautiful women lusting for him, Do I say more? Legendary auteur Woody Allen scripted a brainy but relatable script on passion, love, and romance. He also helmed the picture with an effective unpredictable storyline manner that also had the fringe Spanish benefit of showing us viewers splendid cultural cinematography of beautiful Barcelona. No actor could have played the Juan Antonio role better than Bardem; I will call it "friendo" that Bardem will be one our finest male thespians in years to come. Newcomer Rebecca Hall is no kid in the lonely acting hall anymore with her breakthrough performance as Vicky, and Scarlett Johannson as Cristina is proving that she continues to be an effective muse to Woody; do not take that literally. Nonetheless, it is Penelope Cruz's performance as the fervent Maria Elena which should be cruising her to a Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nomination. So reserve your one-way (or three-way) movie ticket to Spain and visit the luscious and passionate land of "Vicky Cristina Barcelona". ***** Excellent