Can fluff sink like a stone?

Rating: 1/10 (22 July 2010)

Each Woody Allen film seems to be worse than its predecessor, and this one continues the free-fall - although nothing could ever be quite so appalling as "Scoop". In this example, we find the city of Barcelona resembling a glossy 1960's travelogue with an annoying voice-over droning endlessly about the shallow dilemmas of a collection of characters plucked from some back-lot limbo of romance-fiction rejects.
The plot (such as it is) tells the story of a suave, tormented artist, Juan, attired in his Playboy-approved red satin shirt, who sets about luring two American nymphets into his bed. Unfortunately for these vapid young women, Juan is still emotionally involved with his ex-wife, Maria, who is portrayed as a stereotypical Latina spitfire with suicidal impulses. Nothing much that approaches drama, comedy or interest occurs during the film, which allows an audience to focus on the characters - or lack of them. Women should be justifiably incensed by the portrayal of Allen's females as silly, self-absorbed, easily-manipulated neurotics - but 'Vicky Christina Barcelona' is an equal-opportunity disaster - the self-entitlement and pomposity of the male characters makes them even more unlikable.