Movie Notes: Vicky Cristina Barcelona

August 18th, 2009

= 4 stars

Starring Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem
Directed by Woody Allen

Synopsis

Friends Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Christina (Scarlett Johansson) spend the summer in Barcelona, Spain, becoming involved with artist Juan (Javier Bardem) and his estranged, emotional ex-wife Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz).

The Good

• Tight and brisk, as things move quickly from situation, quite economically — the film ended before I knew it. Many scenes demonstrate Allen’s economic direction using simple film techniques: we follow Cristina as she retrieves aspirin from her bag, and certainly know that just outside of the screen, Maria Elena will start massaging Juan. Two sexual situations take place in a dark room, appropriately lit in red. And the last scene where Juan confronts Vicky one last time, is amazing for its build and release of tension. You know what’s coming, but exactly how, is a joy to watch play out.
• A character study with several distinct personalities, with the magic in how they interact. Cristina is warm and sexually open, but is self-admittedly talentless and not very bright (she took up Chinese because it sounded nice, but when asked to say a few words, fails to impress). Her contrasting counterpart Vicky is cautious, expecting happiness to come careful planning, and is inherently conflicted about a potential relationship with Juan, which adds a lot of forbidden tension as he seduces her. Their contrasting yet complimentary personalities (blonde and brunette) could be seen as two sides of one personality, as in Mulholland Drive. And then there’s Juan and Maria Elena, both more stereotypical, passionate artist types — but once the self-destructive and emotional Maria Elena arrives, the film has no choice to eventually boil over.
• An omnipresent attitude of a much older, wiser mind — surrounding the summer romance are tinges of difficult marriages, infidelity, passion, and regret of missed opportunities. While Vicky is understandably concerned about having a fling just as she is about to be married, the older Judy (Patricia Clarkson), trapped in an unfulfilling marriage, sees it is an opportunity Vicky might later regret. One can imagine someone of Allen’s age, nearing the end of his life, considering love and emotional honesty as more fulfilling than playing it safe or sticking to societal norms.
• Allen doesn’t appear in this movie, and his usual on-screen presence is only remotely evident in the quips by Vicky’s fiancee, Doug.

The Bad

• Ultimately the film proves rather inconsequential, without any knotty plot twists or heavy moral contemplations present in Allen’s earlier work.
• Although the attention is largely on Cristina, because of Scarlett Johansson’s relative fame, and Maria Elena with Cruz’s recent oscar win. I think this movie is really about Vicki.

Conclusion

As with Match Point, Allen’s comedic cliches are noticeably absent, and the film is all the better for it — you’d hardly guess this was a “Woody Allen Film” if not prompted beforehand. And despite it all being about youthful, frivolous subject matters, there’s a smart feeling of someone who has experienced many life lessons and is starting to contemplate what’s really important in life.

Next Woody Allen Movie: Whatever Works
Previous Woody Allen Movie: Cassandra’s Dream

IMDB: Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Wikipedia: Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Rotten Tomatoes: Vicky Cristina Barcelona