Good but not great

Rating: 7/10 (26 March 2009)

Despite not being one of Allen's best efforts, VCB is above other recent outings. It's an interesting and adult story, a bit of a throwback to his late 80s/early 90s sex/love/relationships dramas, after a stint of crime stories and silly comedies. The exceptionally good looking cast and setting (my city :-) also help maintain the interest, of course, and the photography is brilliant. The story is irregular, however, in that it strains credibility at some points, while at others you feel it doesn't go as far as it could have, some characters seeming to be let off too easy from their predicaments; and the performances are irregular as well, Cruz and Hall being the obvious standouts, and Johansson the weakest link. The voice-over narration, while necessary, is a bit excessive. And the songs are, quite frankly, unbearable!