Starring: Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, Javier Bardem, Penelope CruzDirector: Woody Allen
Rating: C+
"How can I trust you? After all, I have thoughts of killing you!"
When I saw the trailers for this film, I suspected it could be either a. an insightful reflection on self-discovery and (sexual) adventure in unconventional relationships or b. a self-indulgent memoir of "that summer" with all the love triangles. If it weren't for Penelope Cruz, I'd have been pretty damn disappointed in Vicky Cristina Barcelona, especially since it leaned more towards 'b'.
Vicky is the straight-laced one - she's engaged to a dependable man and is pleased with her sensible life choices. In contrast, her friend Cristina is pleasure-seeking and spontaneous, willing to try anything that life throws at her. Whilst visiting friends in Barcelona and soaking in the culture, they meet Juan Antonio who suggests they have a threesome. Shortly thereafter, they find out that Juan Antonio has some baggage - his ex-wife (Maria Elena, played by the scene stealing Penelope Cruz) tried to kill him by stabbing him with a knife. Hilarity ensues? Hmm.
The main problem I had with Vicky Cristina Barcelona is that the character divisions were so obvious and simple. To top it off, there is cheesy narration to emphasise points in the movie that are already very, very clear. Cristina and Vicky are polar opposites, but not in an interesting or complex way. It was more like putting black next to white. Throughout the film I was unconvinced that they were even very good friends! Vicky is a know-it-all and her smugness and self-righteousness is really annoying. Cristina is fickle, flaky and dull (I wondered if the dullness was due to Johanssen - I liked her first few movies, when I thought that she was a good actress who knew how to play characters dialed back, now I worry it's just because she has no charisma...?) . Juan Antonio, I imagine, was meant to be a breath of fresh air in the womens' lives, but I never really bought into his character either. Is he a free spirit or a sleaze? I didn't even care.
Enter Maria Elena. Sassy, gorgeous, insane, hilarious. The movie is almost unbearable until she shows up, and I wished the film rotated more around her character. Next to Maria Elena, Vicky is pitied for her frigidity and fear of passion (if not forgotten), Cristina appears even more vacuous (if possible), and Juan Antonio completely loses his edge - all the things that make him sexy and alluring (to Vicky and Cristina, not me) turn out to be rip-offs of Maria Elena. She's got more talent as an artist, she's sexier, she's more inspired with a stronger sense of self. I don't know whether creating Maria Elena was good or bad for the film - she's enough to bring the enjoyment factor right up, but she renders every other plot arm lame.
Maria Elena Barcelona - now that would have been a worthwhile film.
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