Review of Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008) by Robert Z — 26 Jul 2010

Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona takes Woody Allen away from his preferred setting of East Coast urban bohemia, outside of which he's rarely fluorished. Films like Cassandra's Dream and Match Point prove that his interpretations of non-American cultures are exoticised, and sometimes painfully inaccurate. In light of these semi-successful forays, setting his latest film in a distinctive region of Northern Spain is a pretty brave move.

While the setting may be new, the plot is a welcome return to roots for Allen. Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) are two artistically-minded American tourists visiting Barcelona. Shortly after their arrival, they get invited by local artist Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem) to Oviedo, where he offers to show them an alternative side to Spain's art scene. A love triangle ensues as, unbeknownst to each other, both women fall in love with Juan Antonio.

Until this triangle begins, the characters and script feel a little stilted. Johansson's acting makes her character seem too desperate to have a piece of Juan Antonio, who himself is a bit too-slick-to-be-true. In the early film, it's Vicky's character who holds the film together. The effects of her solitary night of love with Juan Antonio are clearly articulated in Hall's acting and Allen's script, as she begins to have second thoughts about marrying her hopelessly shallow yuppie fiancée.

Although it takes some time for all the characters to blossom, Woody Allen's cinematic know-how engages right from the start. The sparing use of a narrator alongside the catchy Spanish indie song 'Barcelona' add a sense of pace and informality to the film while the characters find their feet. As expected from Allen, the film is an aesthetic treat; the sunny glow that suffuses the whole film is perfectly suited to the location and liberal passion of the plot, while Allen's eye for framing is as sharp as ever.

The film gets into full swing with the introduction of Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz) as Juan Antonio's ex-wife. Cruz gives a whirlwind of a performance that not only makes her every move fascinating to watch, but also brings to life those around her. Vicky loses much of her early naivety and becomes a kind of Oedipal daughter/apprentice in the new love triangle that consists of herself, Maria and Juan. Watching this liberal dynamic unfold in relation to the dullness of Vicky's life with her fiancée is almost comical, but at the same time emphasises the fragility of relations between all the characters in the film. Needless to say, the ending presents the characters and viewer with something of an abyss.

Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona is classic Woody Allen albeit with a refreshing and sexy make-over. The tempestuous presence of Spanish heartthrobs Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz adds a breath of fresh air to Allen's usual thematic formula of menage-a-trois, bohemia, and unfulfilled love. Perhaps not as hilariously neurotic or introspective as his best works, but equally enjoyable to watch.