There seems to be a common consensus
held in the critical community that Woody Allen’s best work is
behind him, that his cinematic outings in the 2000s (with the
exception of Match Point) have been total disasters. I’ve
never bought into this notion, figuring it to be a mindless
exercise in comparison. Yes, Allen’s recent films may not be
able to measure up to Annie Hall’s brand of observant
romantic-comedy or Take the Money and Run’s goofy
hilarity, but they all represent decent entertainments. The
Curse of the Jade Scorpion and Hollywood Ending were
minor but amusing explorations of typical Allen neuroses,
Anything Else was a downright hysterical commentary on
modern relationships, Melinda and Melinda was a clever
turn for the artsy, Scoop was a pleasantly written farce,
and Match Point and Cassandra’s Dream were both
solid thrillers drenched in moral-dilemma. Why do critics
believe the guy no longer has a masterpiece (or at least a few
more good movies) left in him?
If Vicky
Cristina Barcelona doesn’t turn the negative vibe towards
Allen’s new work around, then nothing will. While I’m not sure
that the movie is my favorite of his efforts in the new
millennium, it represents the most polished, tonally-balanced
Allen picture since 1997’s acclaimed Deconstructing Harry.
While not a full-fledged riot, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
is by turns erotically titillating and wickedly funny, a wholly
satisfying picture that captures Allen’s distinguished views on
carefree romance and erratic-persona-driven humor.
The film’s
structure is simple, but effective. As explained in the opening
scenes by the accessibly poetic words of a sincere narrator
(Christopher Evan Welch), the titular two characters embody both
of the aforementioned tonal styles. Vicky (Rebecca Hall) is an
uptight graduate student whose particular area of interest is
Catalan artwork; Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) is a carefree,
sexually-charged young artist. As Vicky Cristina Barcelona
takes off, both Americans have traveled to Barcelona, Spain to
stay for the summer with Vicky’s relatives (Patricia Clarkson
and Kevin Dunn). Vicky is there to continue study on her
Master’s Thesis—sparing some time to swoon over Spanish guitar
licks, mind you—and the more-liberated Cristina is more or less
along for the ride.
The young
women’s focus quickly shifts from exclusively art, however, when
they meet Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem), an elusive Spanish
painter who gained communal-fame when his ex-wife Maria Elena
(Penelope Cruz) tried to kill him. Juan Antonio frankly
introduces himself to the girls at a restaurant after Cristina
eyes him at an art-show hours earlier, inviting them on a
private-plan (he will pilot – of course) to Oviedo and
propositioning them for group-sex. The engaged-to-be-married
Vicky is repulsed but sort of compulsively allured by the tall,
dark, and handsome man, whereas Cristina—always the opposite of
her friend—is downright taken by him. After much frenzied
conversation, the three end up on their way to Oviedo for a
weekend that gives way to the development of not one but two
complicated love-relationships. And when they return to
Barcelona, things only get wilder: Cristina moves in with Juan
Antonio only to witness the unstable Maria Elena follow in her
footsteps. Meanwhile, Vicky faces her own personal issues
related to her fiancé back home (Chris Messina).
As a
filmmaker, Allen has always had an indomitable faith in
simplicity in order to focus his energy on shaping his
characters’ personalities. Rarely, however, are they as
well-defined as those in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. If
there is a quality that separates this film from Allen’s other
recent efforts, which are defendable for different reasons, it’s
the way that he writes his characters. Whereas Anything Else
and Hollywood Ending, for example, focused mostly on
punch-lines for their humor, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
feels much more organic in that the comedy is naturally derived
from the players involved. In order to skip any bulky setup,
Allen uses his narrator to flesh out basic palettes for his
central characters and then interject occasionally in regards to
their inner-thoughts. Without much plot to deal with, he allows
himself to delve into the personalities and lets his actors sink
their teeth into the material, fleshing their characters out in
ways that prove suitably sexy and funny.
Speaking of
the actors – they’re fabulous. In what is debatably the lead
role in the film, Rebecca Hall is radiant, proving herself a
perfect fit for the Allen mold. As neurotic and off-putting as
Vicky sometimes is, Hall also realizes the woman’s underpinning
sexuality, as evidenced by her titillating short relationship
with Juan Antonio. Hall has been memorable in past supporting
roles in British productions—Starter for 10 and The
Prestige being the most notable—but she here cements the
fact that she has a bright future ahead of her in Hollywood.
Alongside her (nearly) every step of the way, Scarlett Johansson
is dependably sultry as the free-spirited Cristina. Like Hall,
Johansson is able to employ both her comedic chops and stunning
looks to craft an involving character. Javier Bardem makes a
perfect match for the two, furthering his ability to transform
into distinguishable characters (even if Juan Antonio isn’t
exactly Anton Chigurh on the transformability-scale). Compared
to her three costars, Penelope Cruz fades into the background,
still riotous as the psycho-let-loose Maria Elena but not as
engaging, perhaps because she isn’t afforded as attractive a
character.
If there’s
one sizable qualm to be had with Vicky Cristina Barcelona,
it’s that the movie is too inconsequential a work to amount to
anything. Nonetheless, there’s a shortage of well-constructed
pictures that feature good performances, smart writing, and
engaging settings in today’s Hollywood and, at the very least,
Vicky Cristina Barcelona is one more decent effort to
fill the void. In the cinematic dumping-ground that is August,
one won’t do much better than this film when purchasing an
admission-ticket at the local multiplex.
-Danny Baldwin, Bucket Reviews
Review Published on: 8.14.2008
Screened on: 8.6.2008 at the
Clarity Screening Room in Beverly Hills, CA.