Monday, September 01, 2008

Vicky Christina Barcelona


A light summer romp from writer/director Woody Allen. "VCB" is a visual treat both in terms of the scenery and it's leading actors. The film stars Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, Javier Bardem, and Penelope Cruz as friends and lovers all romantically involved over a summer in Barcelona.

Filming in a new city seems to have refreshed Mr. Allen and the film succeeds on many levels. The cinematography paints a lovely picture of Barcelona.The dialog is fresh, clever and intelligent. The acting is perfect as everyone is very well cast. Ms. Cruz, in particular, ignites the second half of the film as Maria Elena, Mr. Bardem's unstable ex-wife. Rebecca Hall is also terrific as the conflicted, Vicky.

The film is one of Mr. Allen's sexiest, while still within PG-13 limits. To call it a comedy is a stretch but it does have some fine comedic moments and is far lighter in tone than "Matchpoint", one of Mr. Allen's most recent successes.

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