At first I couldn't get into this movie, but now I officially love Vicky Cristina Barcelona. It took me three viewings to fully appreciate this film, but now I can say it's simply outstanding. Great performances all around, cinematography, music, location shooting. I think of VCB as a "tormented tourist's postcard." It's as though tourists cannot handle the "real thing" that is an artist's often chaotic life: full of fits and starts and sends them running away from what they believed they wanted. It's as cynical a look at the romanticism of being involved with an artist as I've ever seen.
The movie truly takes off when Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz) enters the picture. From then on, I bought into her crazed, "tortured artist" melodrama though I found the kiss scene with Johannson to be a total failure; Penelope Cruz is definitely not interested in kissing girls (and neither is Johannson)! Javier "Speak English" Bardem plays the artistic stud well and his voice and appearance remind me of a young Raul Julia. The kind of men that Vicky (Rebecca Hall; also excellent) and Judy (Patricia Clarkson; wonderful and hotter than her younger co-stars)are involved with are tepid businessmen not unlike my brother-in-law; decent and "safe" guys, but certainly not compelling.
In regards to Cristina's disdain for American life, I realize Woody's gone on record via his films with his admiration for Europe, yet I still felt that everything being said by the narrator was sarcastic. I'm not sure why, but the entire film had a caustic tone and I felt that everything was being flayed, even the things that Allen usually revers and that there was disdain for every character. VCB is among Allen's most vicious, I think.
The final scene with Cristina and Vicky walking through the airport, both with "damaged" looks on their faces, is brilliant.
The movie truly takes off when Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz) enters the picture. From then on, I bought into her crazed, "tortured artist" melodrama though I found the kiss scene with Johannson to be a total failure; Penelope Cruz is definitely not interested in kissing girls (and neither is Johannson)! Javier "Speak English" Bardem plays the artistic stud well and his voice and appearance remind me of a young Raul Julia. The kind of men that Vicky (Rebecca Hall; also excellent) and Judy (Patricia Clarkson; wonderful and hotter than her younger co-stars)are involved with are tepid businessmen not unlike my brother-in-law; decent and "safe" guys, but certainly not compelling.
In regards to Cristina's disdain for American life, I realize Woody's gone on record via his films with his admiration for Europe, yet I still felt that everything being said by the narrator was sarcastic. I'm not sure why, but the entire film had a caustic tone and I felt that everything was being flayed, even the things that Allen usually revers and that there was disdain for every character. VCB is among Allen's most vicious, I think.
The final scene with Cristina and Vicky walking through the airport, both with "damaged" looks on their faces, is brilliant.