Provokes Thoughts About Love Relationships

Rating: 6/10 (13 February 2009)

I have not seen a Woody Allen movie for a very long time. In fact I do not even remember the last one. Watching "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" brought it all back -- the incisive and thought-provoking ideas elucidated in the very smart dialogue. Vintage Woody, back to form. Nobody can write with so much neuroses in its varied forms like Woody Allen.
That said, I think the screenplay, while very witty, also had its flaws in its very unexpected plot turns. First, who was the Narrator? He surely helped the story along, but who was he in the first place? However, my main qualm was the way the problem of Vicky got resolved which I found contrived. I did not like it. It seems to be the easy way out.
As for the main actor, I'm sure all the men in the audience would agree what a lucky guy Javier Bardem is, sharing the screen bed with three gorgeous women -- Scarlett Johannson, Rebecca Hall and Penelope Cruz. He is just laid back here and clearly enjoying his fantasy role of a woman-magnet artist.
Scarlett Johannson is very natural and carefree as the free-spirited Cristina. Her character makes a key yet sudden decision midway in the film that upsets the status quo. This is another one of my problems with the script. She has certainly come a long way from the girl in "Horse Whisperer." My favorite Scarlett role remains to be Griet in "Girl with a Pearl Earring."
Rebecca Hall looks and acts very different from her confident character in "Frost/Nixon," playing the mousy and conflicted bride Vicky. As the more conservative and rigid character, she had to convey her emotions in less words and less body language. Yet she gets her character's conflicts across.
However, it is Penelope Cruz who is the only member of the cast nominated for an Oscar (for Best Supporting Actress). Her character Maria Elena is far and away the most showy role and she goes to town with it. I did not like the way the character was written, but Ms. Cruz did very well in it, if not a little overdone.
I should mention one more actress, Patricia Clarkson. She has a short role, yet instrumental in the development of Vicky's character. Ms. Patricia does very well in her few minutes on screen.
I'm not really sure why this was nominated (and won) for Best Musical/Comedy in the Golden Globes. While the cinematography, set design, music and Barcelona are all fantastic, the topics tackled are quite serious and controversial. Especially for Asian sensitivities. Overall though, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" is not entirely a Valentine sort of romantic movie. The script provides difficult questions that challenges the audience to think and discuss afterward.