Review of Barcelona (1994) by Erik K — 10 May 2008

The sequel to Metropolitan. Of course, it doesn't live up to the expectations that masterpiece gives rise to. Metropolitan is a fairy tale, a little gem, about a group of aristocrats and their own little world. Barcelona begins with two of the characters from Metropolitan already outside their bubble. This is both in terms of their dealings with the world around them and in terms of how they deal with their own feelings. In Metropolitan, all of this was treated with a light touch. Barcelona isn't overly sentimental, but that light touch is gone.

I have trouble saying why I liked this so much less than Metropolitan. I laughed a lot less. The characters' predicament struck me as mch less interesting. In Metropolitan, the characters start with everything but face a future of failure and decline. In Barcelona, they are surrounded by anti-Americanism and different romantic conventions.