Prolific and neurotic director Woody Allen (Annie Hall, Manhattan) goes wildly romantic in his latest flick, set in Barcelona. Two young Americans, Vicky (Hall) and Cristina (Johansson) meet a flamboyant artist (Bardem) and his beautiful wack-job of an ex-wife (Penelope Cruz, in her 2009 Oscar winning role). Vicky is very well behaved, as she is about to be married. Cristina on the other hand, is described in press notes as "a sexually adventurous free spirit". When they all become amorously entangled, things get chaotic.
I apologise, we feel bad, but there's no trailer available. ~Ed.
Legendary writer/director Woody Allen presents audiences with his most accessible production of recent times. The titular Vicky and Cristina are a pair of American tourists enjoying a summer holiday in Spain when an encounter with a passionate, in every sense of the word, local artist and his ex-wife turns their love lives upside down.
Lots of people deserve to be singled out for praise. Javier Bardem gives a performance that is the flipside of, but no less impressive than, his menacing turn in No Country For Old Men, swapping sinister for sensual without skipping a beat. My new goal in life is to be as smooth as he is. Penelope Cruz is fantastic as the unstable ex-wife and commands your attention whenever she is on screen, like a powder keg waiting to explode. Woody Allen returns to career best form as a writer too, pacing the unfolding events at a deceptively brisk place and sprinkling plenty of punchy dialogue and thoughtful humour throughout.
But the real star of the show is Barcelona itself in all its eye-catching glory - due credit to the camerawork for giving it such a lustrous glow, but oh what a canvas to work on. It’s hard to imagine anyone not wanting to visit the city after having seen this movie. It’s incorporated nicely into the narrative too, preventing the film from descending into a mere travelogue, which could easily have happened were it not in such good hands. Instead, its exotic, cultured aura seeps into the cast of richly drawn characters and underpins the witty, intelligent look at the complications that orbit modern relationships.
By Andreas Heinemann, Flicks.co.nz
this is possibly the best chick flick of all time. Believe me you want to see it.
Good film, made barcelona look amazing and the spanish way of life was made to look exotic and crazy and daring. The film itself is what you would expect from Woody Allen - filkled with exotic woman and sexual tension and relationships that are on and off like a light switch. If you are a Mr Allen fan then bets on you will love it! If not, its still better than just about anything else out (just about!)
Flicks is right about one thing, the real star of the show (in fact the only) was Barcelona. Predictable, corny, what else....
Wow - what a movie. Perfect character studies and WA at his very best. Loved it. Enjoy the sights of Barcelona, this movie is a cultural delight.
Great movie. It is neither over romantic nor crude, there is no cliches, no taboos, no happy ending the way most Hollywood romantic comedy intends (which means no tears from the softies nearby). That movie is filled with everything likeable about the Latin culture and Woody Allen captured that free spirit perfectly. Barcelona and Osasuna are as beautiful as ever. The actors deliver great performances especially Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz (who is always at her very best when turning in Spain), the intent if there is one is not pretentious but for some this movie could be a revelation or a wake up call (watch it you will understand). By the way, that movie is not a girl flick, it is a movie about experimenting life (with or) without judgement or prejudice. Those (like me) who are not big fans of Woody Allen the actor, will be glad to know that he is off the screen. As a Director he has a real talent for narrating and illustrating awkward situations in the way we interact. Vicky Cristina Barcelona is about daring and trying as opposed to succeeding and failing. As we find out happiness is not in the destination but in the travel to get there.
Let's not kid ourselves: There's something about Javi.
Bardem's performance is so good it tends to mask how lacking much of what surrounds it is.
Woody Allen's sexiest movie ever.
It's literally difficult to believe that the person who made this picturesque, clueless, oddly misanthropic picture also made "Annie Hall" and "Crimes and Misdemeanors."
The film's freedom and control, its inspiration and focus, announce it as the work of a confident and mature artist.
We've been told the NZ release date for this flick is Friday, 26th Dec 2008.
Release date: December 26th 2008.
We haven't received times for this movie in this location yet. However these are updated as cinemas announce them, so check back soon. Hopefully the lovely cinemas in your location will choose to play it shortly. ~Ed.
