Review of Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) by Philip S — 19 Jan 2012

I'd heard good things, but wasn't too sure what to expect. Halfway through, I was pleasantly surprised to find myself enjoying it. Rebecca Hall was a delightful discovery (I did not link her to her roles in Frost/Nixon and The Prestige) and Javier Bardem was solid.

At that point, the story was mostly about Vicky (Hall) and was moving well. Cristina's story was far less interesting and when it took over much of the second half, the movie suffered. Cruz's appearance did add some spark, but the plot was not compelling because it became all about disappearing conflict - arguably the very opposite of what makes a good movie.

When Vicky finally reappeared it was just to wrap things up in a pretty little bow in time for the credits. The last few minutes were spectacularly disappointing. I'd recommend this film for a lazy afternoon of fantasizing about Spain, but in my mind it could have been much better.