Song of the Day: “Sister Kate” by the Ditty Bops

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Director: Woody Allen
Genre: Romance/Comedy/Drama
Year: 2008

I know it is probably sacrilege to say this and half of you will probably throw your necks out upon hearing this, knowing how many movies I watch but, prior to this, I had only seen one Woody Allen movie: Match Point. I have seen parts of Sweet and Lowdown and parts of Mighty Aphrodite, but watching parts of movies does not count, does it? As such, I have always heard people’s praise of Woody Allen and never really had much to found it on. I liked Match Point, quite a bit, but it is hardly fair to judge a director on the basis of a single movie. Well…one and a few fractions. On the other hand, because I DO hear so much about Woody Allen, I am half of the time tempted not to watch his stuff at all, just because the hype is WAY too high for me to go into his films fairly.

So, as I talk about this film know that I almost zero knowledge about the director outside of the fact that he is clearly influential. And if I picked this movie to watch, it was more to do with the cast, than with the director. Jarvier Bardem became quickly one of my favorite actors (likely my favorite Spanish actor) after Mar Adentro. From there on he has only managed to continue building on that on the other films I have seen him in. Penelope Cruz also holds credibility with me, when acting in Spanish (unfortunately in English she does not have the same batting average). Scarlett Johansson is Scarlett Johansson…I would watch here even if she didn’t know how to act. And then there is the premise.

Vicky (Rebeca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) are best friends, have been for a while and have taken the opportunity to travel for a few months over the summer to Barcelona. Vicky intends to do some research on Catalan culture for her thesis, while awaiting her quickly approaching wedding and Cristina is joining in because the ‘road’ of her life is suddenly foggy. It is a trip that is certain to do some good to the two, beautiful women who have no real expectations out of the trip, other than some sight seeing and relaxing, as they stay with some relatives of Vicky.

It is by way of happenstance that at an opening at a gallery for some painter, they learn of another artist, Juan Antonio Gonzalo (Javier Bardem) who seems to have had a recent fiery divorce that set the tongues of the art world wagging. They do not actually meet him, however, until later that night at a quaint bar, where he approaches their table with a proposition: To fly with him to Oviedo, for that weekend, to see a sculpture, sight see and have sex. Plane leaves in an hour.

Without beating around the bush, Juan Antonio enters the life of these two friends with very different personalities and differing approaches to love. Vicky finds this absurd, Cristina is heated by the thought, and in the end Juan Antonio gets his way. It is complicated enough that he manages to touch each woman in her own way, that when Juan Antonio’s ex wife Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz), a fiery, passionate artist edging on mental instability comes back into the picture after a suicide attempt…well, you can see how things might get interesting.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a wonderful film with interesting characters rendered nearly flawlessly. Javier pulls off his aggressively sexual Juan Antonio with virile confidence; Scarlett Johanson makes her American tourist persona sparkle; Rebecah Hall, easily the least known of this otherwise star studded cast, holds her own superbly; and Penelope Cruz does her best performance since Volver. Delicately directed, well guided without forcing plot or character, this film develops interesting along the lines of love, presenting dilemmas that turn out to be not only interesting but also humorous, romantic and intriguing without being weighty or demanding. In other words, it is easy to get a lot from the psychological aspect of this film, without feeling burdened and still keeping the accessibility of a comedy or a romance movie. And while it could be argued that the film does not explore enough the relationships that ensue, breezing over the story with an almost carefree, detached way – this story is in fact narrated to us in a way that keeps us ultimately on the audience seat and never really attempts to place you into the film itself – one never feels like it seriously detracts from the final product, a fact that is likely to draw a wider audience as the director surely intended.

Rating:
Comments: Adult themes, language, brief sexuality. English, with some English subtitles on a few Spanish spoken parts.
Quote: Cristina: [Looking at a sculpture of Jesus] Are you very religious?
Juan Antonio: No, no, no, no, I’m not. The trick is to enjoy life, accepting it has no meaning whatsoever.
Cristina: No meaning? You don’t think that authentic love gives life meaning?
Juan Antonio: Yes, but love is so transient. Isn’t it? I was in love with a most incredible woman… and then in the end…
Vicky: Yes?
Juan Antonio: She put a knife into me.
Cristina: My God, that’s terrible!
Vicky: Well, maybe you did something to deserve it.