Compare and Contrast

Rating: 10/10 (18 August 2008)

Recently, Woody Allen has not been at his best. There have been some rather forced thrillers that started promising but rambled on, losing their impact. The spark and appreciation for the fine elements in human relationships had almost vanished. For years, we could count on him for combining drama and comedy, for giving us the feel that we were enjoying some light entertainment, with tons of self-deprecating humor, but we were really exploring the depths of human imperfections. He could make us think, rejoice, laugh at ourselves, at others, and a great time was almost guaranteed. Hilarity existed alongside reflection and guilt, and gems like "Crimes and Misdemeanors", "Bullets Over Broadway", and "The Purple Rose of Cairo" forced to look at the world around us and more importantly, at each other.
"Vicky Cristina Barcelona" does not reach the heights of some of those classics, but it missed by very little. Had Woody played with its length a little more, done some careful editing, and the film would have exploded in ways that very few works of art do nowadays. Maybe some of the ethereal beauty of its setting managed to lull him into relaxing a little too much. The film is gorgeously photographed and captures both the intensity and the peace of Barcelona and its surroundings. The emotions of the visitors are almost palpable, and some of the locals' own feelings come through.
"Barcelona" could be seen as just a love affair that gets out of control, well, in a very special way, since there are four people at the heart of such relationship. We have two hot-blooded local artists unable to maintain a healthy commitment together because of the fire that lives in each of them. A very impressionable American who yearns for things she doesn't understand and that she might not want. In the hands of Scarlett Johansson, this character is interestingly portrayed. As is the case in Allen's work, women are very strongly written. It is a difficult role to play since we must learn to understand what motivates her, and how this is also perceived by others. It is a character that would have earned more than a critical look in other times. Allen gives her more dimension and tries to explain what lives in the soul of Cristina.
Along for the ride is Vicky, the one female role that could have been eclipsed by everyone else, but it is the quiet turmoil in the heart of this woman that makes it stand out. Everyone else jumps recklessly in the middle of this love feast. It takes a bit of analytical discomfort for Vicky to eventually surrender to the old world's charms. She is attracted but scared by the offerings of this exotic universe, and it is her objectivity that allows for some balance because at the other end of the spectrum are two Spanish powerhouses, flawlessly played by Bardem and Cruz, reinforcing their newly appreciated talents.
Bardem does an amazing job playing the seductive artist, a man who appears very self-assured and apparently has no time to waste on games. He puts the cards on the table and lets others join in at their own discretion. He is smooth, very likable, and quite a cad. We can't help but looking at the subtlety of his maneuvers and somehow see that it all should be problem free. However, he does have a past, and he can't sever his ties to the very unstable ex-wife.
Played by Cruz, this woman is a powerhouse, somehow who can't and won't rain her spirit, This lady has no problem expressing herself, can't be accused of never being direct, and she provokes quite a reaction on anyone who happens to cross her path. As already mentioned, there is still a bond between her and Bardem, and neither lets go, aware there is probably no way their paths will ever be completely separate. In the film, it is the chemistry produced by putting Cristina, Bardem, and Cruz that fascinates the viewer. Nothing will turn out as expected, and as we are amazed by the fireworks, we also get more than a peek at what resides in each person's heart.
It is quite a comeback for Allen, one that should have been bigger and more widely admired, one that might never seen the light of a director's or a revised cut, one where the parts are sometimes more powerful than the whole. Making the film in an exotic locale, with two very talented Spanish actors certainly helps Allen. It is also noticeable that he appears to be missing, yet one character can almost pass as is alter ego. It wouldn't be a Woody Allen film otherwise. "Barcelona" is another gem on his crown as one of our best filmmakers.