Review of Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) by Louis S — 24 Jul 2010

Although this film has bizarrely been described as breezy summer entertainment by some top critics (which leads me to wonder if they saw the same movie I did, or just the first half hour), "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" is the closest thing to the sort of examination of relationships that Allen became famous for in quite some time and although it is not as weighty as some of his dramas or even some of his comedies, this is his first really inspired script in a while, featuring a cast of detailed, well-developed characters, some razor-sharp observations on relationships, and a wicked sense of humor.

Allen's script is extraordinarily nuanced, something that I haven't expected from his writing in a while. The characters still represent opposing romantic philosophies, but there's a spark in the writing that makes these feel like real people as opposed to mere characters.

That spark, that chemistry is also there in the vibrant cinematography by Javier Aguirresarobe and the lead performances of Hall, Johansson, Bardem and an especially a wickedly entertaining turn from Penelope Cruz.