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Woody Allen, Vicky Cristina Barcelona
08/15/2008 Love may be a many-splendored thing, but that doesn't mean it’s easy. In Woody Allen’s latest film Vicky Cristina Barcelona, his most successful since Match Point, the prolific director explores the complications and hardships of love, all while proving that sometimes three is not a crowd. Vicky (Rebecca Hall) is a straight-laced young woman about to marry a boring but successful and stable man. Her best friend Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) is a free-spirited artist attracted to potentially volatile relationships. While summering in beautiful Barcelona, the two American tourists receive a shockingly forward invitation to form a threesome with local painter Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem), known for his combustible relationship with his ex-wife Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz). Though Vicky declines the offer, believing Juan Antonio to be nothing more than slimy Eurotrash, Cristina is instantly captivated. The two women accept Juan Antonio's invitation for a weekend away, and though Cristina appears to be the perfect fit for the artist, she falls ill and Vicky is forced to spend time with Juan Antonio. A one-night dalliance with the artist throws off Vicky's plans as she contemplates what she really wants out of life and also tries to keep her feelings for Juan Antonio hidden from Cristina. Upon returning from the weekend away, Juan Antonio and Cristina jump into a serious live-in relationship. Other than Cristina's willingness to leap for what she believes could be love, nothing about the relationships in Vicky Cristina Barcelona is too out of the ordinary. Enter Maria Elena: an artist like Juan Antonio, Maria Elena is an erratic and emotional woman still grasping for the eternal love that she believes exists between her and Juan Antonio. Maria Elena and Juan Antonio are still madly in love, but both have learned that their relationship will not work. Lo and behold, the mystery element that had been missing from their marriage turns out to be Cristina! The couple becomes a ménage a trois, much to Vicky's confusion and jealousy of Cristina's lawless life. But is this really the love for which Cristina has been searching? Vicky Cristina Barcelona features voice over narration that gives the film the semblance of a storybook. The film opens with two American women landing in Barcelona to stay the summer with a distant relative. We are introduced to them in the cab, and thus we embark on their summer in Spain right along with them. Narration is a risky choice, but Allen applies it to the film without overwhelming the action. Though the device can sometimes endanger a film’s impact on the audience by constantly pulling them out of the story, the voice over used in Vicky Cristina Barcelona serves to fill in gaps and shortens the waiting period between the increasingly chaotic exchanges between the characters. It also serves to give the otherwise dramatic film a levity, as if Allen is offering his viewers a slide show of a past vacation. Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a strong entry into Allen's canon, recalling the more serious but still playful romantic dramedies of his early years. His third film to star current muse Scarlett Johansson, Vicky Cristina Barcelona falls somewhere between the gravity and intensity of Match Point and the fun absurdity of Scoop. Though Allen does not act in this film, his spirit is constantly present as most of his characters tend to speak as Allen would. Both Vicky and Cristina, despite being polar opposites in terms of what they desire from relationships, possess a little bit of Allen’s typical neurotic character. Ms. Johansson performs well as the freethinking Cristina. Though she sometimes appears to mistake acting for standing around pursing her pouty lips, Ms. Johansson here delivers an honest and realistic quality to the role creating depth and interesting the viewer. She’s a young woman who, like most of us whether or not we would like to admit it, does not know what she wants in life but is willing to try anything. Ms. Hall’s Vicky is the most Allen-esque character of the film. Vicky is what normal people call “neurotic” and neurotic people call “good sense.” She always goes with the safe choice and focuses on stability rather than whims. At the beginning of the film, Vicky is the voice of reason. Studying for her Master’s Degree in Catalan Culture (even though she doesn't know Spanish), which prompts one character to ask the dreaded question, “What do you plan to do with that?” Vicky is constrained by books and research. She adores the architecture of Gaudi and the art that brings the city to life but is still resistant to Juan Antonio’s advances and unwilling to take a risk. Only when listening to the sensual strumming of a guitar is she able to break free of her preconceived notions of love and give in to Juan Antonio. What she doesn’t count on is his pulling her into a whirlwind of emotions and opening the door to thoughts of leaving her predictable but supportive fiancé. Fresh off of an Oscar win for last year’s quiet hit No Country For Old Men, Javier Bardem, one of Spain’s hottest stars, brings an understated but genuine sensitivity to the role of Juan Antonio. At first he seems vapid and thoughtless; he approaches the women and lays down his offer without so much as a blink. However, as Vicky Cristina Barcelona unfolds, Bardem’s character evolves to exhibit tenderness and sensitivity. The scenes in which he interacts with his poet father illustrate Mr. Bardem’s range. The man seen sporting a bowl cut and carrying a menacing air tank last year can now be seen visiting his aging father and gently discussing art and the meaning of life and love. It is Spanish star Penelope Cruz, however, who steals the show. Her unexpectedly explosive Maria Elena delivers the most tremendous bursts of energy throughout the film. Untrusting of the new woman in her ex husband’s life, Maria Elena pouts and throws tantrums like a small child. However, as she gets to know Cristina, Maria Elena grows to love her. Though the transformation from couple to threesome may not prove logical, expected, or even normal to most viewers, Allen handles the relationship in a way that only a seasoned director can. Cristina, Juan Antonio and Maria Elena’s relationship is the central focus of the film, but the existence of a threesome is not constantly forced into the viewer’s face. Early in production, rumors of a steamy sex scene between the three attractive and successful actors circulated the Internet, but to either your relief or disappointment, the relationship is tender and what is shown is tame. As any fan of Woody Allen’s work knows, the director’s films are dialogue heavy and rely on the delivery of perpetual psychoanalysis and attempts to uncover the meaning of life and the universe. Vicky Cristina Barcelona is no departure from Allen’s well-known and much-loved style, but the film does exhibit a new sense of freedom and comfort in pushing boundaries, or perhaps he just doesn't care what his viewers think. The humor of Vicky Cristina Barcelona sneaks up on the viewer; the film’s serious moments become increasingly funny as the stakes are raised and the chaos spreads. From Juan Antonio’s initial proposal to Cristina and Vicky to Maria Elena’s wild outbursts and gun-toting tendencies, each act of the film becomes more absurd than the one before it. However, Allen keeps the film under control and it never misses a beat. Filmed in the awe-inspiring city of Barcelona, Vicky Cristina Barcelona marks Allen’s fourth film made outside of New York City. He lovingly embraces the natural beauty of the region, replacing Gershwin with local music and sensual guitars, but doesn’t give enough attention and screen time to the city itself. This is perhaps because he doesn’t know the city as well as he knows his native Manhattan. Much of the film takes place in Juan Antonio’s house and therefore could have been shot anywhere had Allen chosen to do so, but the glimpses of Gaudi architecture and the Spanish landscape leave the viewer wanting more. What he offers us are instead mere glimpses of the region; they resemble the scenes found on postcards and in guidebooks, not images that would be contrived by someone who has actually lived there. Overall, Vicky Cristina Barcelona requires an open mind but rewards viewers who let themselves go to become part of the story and spend the summer with two American women in Spain. An unconventional love story, Vicky Cristina Barcelona finds the perfect balance between chaos and tenderness as its young protagonists confront the difficulty, uncertainty, and joy of love and debunks the romanticism of the bohemian lifestyle. Comments [post a comment]Comments are closed |
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Saturday, March 13, 2010
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Woody Allen Javier Bardem Scarlett Johansson Barcelona Cinema Review