The Weinstein Company
Take a Spanish holiday
Vicky Cristina Barcelona may be reason enough to finally get your passport renewed
By Kathleen Keish
Published: August 21st, 2008 | 1:10pm
Woody Allen has proven himself to be something of a cinematic jetsetter as of late.
Though New York City is familiar terrain for the adored director, Allen has decided to take his neuroses abroad in his most recent films. His last three movies, Match Point, Scoop, and Cassandra's Dream were all set in London, the European foil to the United State's city which Allen knows as home. However, in his most recent film, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Allen has taken his characters to a place not yet explored by the customarily cynical actor-writer-director.
Set in Barcelona, Spain, the film is the story of two young women, Vicky and Cristina, played by Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johansson respectively, who are vacationing abroad for the summer. Though best friends, both women are polar opposites; Vicky yearns for comfort and stability, while Cristina throws caution to the wind in several aspects of her life. The two catch the eye of artist-lothario, Juan Antonio, played dreamily by recent Oscar winner Javier Bardem (minus the Dorothy Hamill haircut), and thus begins a whirlwind tale of passion in the Catalonian city.
To begin, this film is unlike any of Allen's most recent or popular films. As an actor, he is nowhere to be found, and surprisingly, neither are blatant hints of neurotic behavior or biting cynicism, his most notable cinematic qualities. The only aspect that can be directly related to Allen's recent fare is the use of actress Scarlett Johansson, who is shockingly disappointing. Though she seems made to play Cristina, a passionate young beauty yearning for exotic adventure, she delivers a lukewarm performance at best. Perhaps she is too comfortable in the role of pouty sex kitten, for she delivered her lines with a familiarity that no one would possess when shacking up with a gorgeous stranger in a foreign country. Even if they are the adventurous type.
However, her character's foil, Vicky, is played perfectly by up-and-coming actress Rebecca Hall, who also starred with Johansson in 2006's The Prestige. Though her name appears in the title, she is absent from the movie poster. Perhaps her noodle is not wet enough in the alphabet soup that is Hollywood, but in this film, she holds her own against an array of veterans. You are convinced at her simplicity, though not shocked when passion does finally overtake her. Hall delivers the complexity lacking in Johansson's performance, making the viewer wonder whether Juan Antonio had his sights set on the wrong girl.
Not to be ignored are the film's exhilarating Spanish duo, the aforementioned Juan Antonio and his deranged ex-wife, Maria Elena, played by smoky-eyed beauty, Penelope Cruz. Both are astounding in their respective roles. Bardem plays Juan Antonio as if before becoming an actor, he himself were a love-addicted artist bent on seducing beautiful young tourists. Not surprising, however, as Bardem is not too hard on the eyes; whether in formal wear at an exhibit opening or in jeans and a t-shirt while painting, no woman, even in the audience, can resist his charms. The true gem of this film comes in the role of Antonio's crazy ex, Maria Elena. Penelope Cruz is undeniably gorgeous, though she is most popularly known in America as being the paparazzi conscious ex-girlfriend of actors Tom Cruise and Matthew McConaughey. In Allen's newest film she shows a side of herself sure to wow critics and audiences alike. While many will recognize her from her English-speaking roles, she is comfortable in her native tongue throughout the film, and even speaks English as if she herself has just recently learned it. Maria Elena is certifiably insane, having previously tried to kill Juan Antonio in a fit of rage, though her demeanor is so brash and endearing that no one could fault her for that. Her random outbursts and eyelash-laden tears add the only hit of neuroses to the Allen film, but in a way so memorable that it is easy to suspect she may become the new Annie Hall.
But before you get too comfortable planning your own holiday to Spain, the fantasy world in which the film exists ends right as the credits begin. No aspect of the film is realistic whatsoever; Allen's portrayal of Spain is closer to a Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel than to the actual city itself. Money seems to be no problem for anybody. The film's female protagonists seem to exist on their beauty alone, while Juan Antonio must make quite a living as an occasional artist. Though it is a nice story, one couldn't help but yearn for a smidgeon of reality to ruin the character's consistent good fortune. Allen's trademark cynicism would have come in handy in the form of a denied credit card, or something like that.
The film is a gorgeous display of Allen's continually progressing talents as a writer and director. His characters are played with tender, love, and care by their respective performers, though some fail to miss the mark. And despite Allen's foray into the cinematic equivalent of magic realism, this charming film will leave you with a yearning desire for some adventure of your own.
Issue #26
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