Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Rating: 7/10 (4 May 2014)

Vicky Cristina Barcelona made me want to watch more Woody Allen films. It's eye-opening expose of love in all it's guises and the complexities surrounding it. The characters are multi-faceted individuals who change and grow in striking ways as the plot unfurls, and it is highly unlikely you'll be able to guess who'll end up with who in the closing moments. It maintains a consistent level of quality throughout, but the midway point when Penelope Cruz's unstable ex-wife role is unleashed, definitely moves things to a higher level. A well deserved Oscar for her, methinks.
The only other Allen movies I'd watched before this one were Sleeper and Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex But Were Afraid to Ask ( that was a mouthful... lol) which were hardly indicative of his usual fare. Say what you like about the bloke's somewhat neurotic perspective, or his controversial lifestyle choices... he can both spin a good yarn and write compelling people in his films. Which is good enough for me. Now, what to put on next... 7/10