Review of Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) by Rebecca C — 24 Jun 2011
Woody Allen beautifully satirizes the shallow, boring lives of some Americans as well as what constitutes art in this film. An American woman, Vicky who views herself as an intellectual capable of careful judgement, is deeply fascinated with elements of Catalan Identity for a university thesis for something to do while on holiday in Barcelona.
On the other hand, she is about to blindly hem herself into a life of predictability through getting married. Her ignorance of her own identity manifests itself when a real Catalan in the form of artist, Juan Antonio, seduces her unexpectedly, driving her into a state of confused love-sickness for him.
The Catalan identity thesis becomes a bit an anticlimax in comparison to her own identity crisis. Then there is her friend Christina, who imagines herself as a bohemian with great levels of tolerance and an ability not to judge people, so much so that she that could never appreciate 'cookie cut' types of relationships; but she discovers that she is not so open that she is willing to become the missing ingredient - 'salt' - in Juan Antonio and Maria Elena's volatile relationship.
Later though, it is hinted at that she might consider something more 'cookie-cut' in her search for meaning in life. There are other little gems parodying art throughout; the Spanish poet who denies the world his poems because he hates the world; the stereotypically passionate and disturbed Spanish artists Juan Antonio and Maria Elena toss and broom on ridiculous quantities of black, red and orange paint onto giant stretched canvases into non-distinctive forms that are applauded as products of brilliant creativity by wealthy 'educated' Americans who buy them.
These discerning types travel to Barcelona especially to play on their laptops in hotel rooms and talk real estate over numerous dinners. Vicki in a now ongoing state of unrequited love is no longer intrigued by such shallowness becomes more like unstable like Christina.
Education takes on a whole new meaning. This hilarious film will remain a favourite in my collection.
This review of Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) was written by Rebecca C on 24 Jun 2011.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona has generally received positive reviews.
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