Friday, August 22, 2008

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Movie name: Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Year of release: 2008
Director: Woody Allen
Stars: Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, Patricia Clarkson, Kevin Dunn, Chris Messina, Pablo Schreiber, Christopher Evan Welch
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:Woody Allen is back with his yearly film, following the tepid response that "Cassandra's Dream" had. With a career that spans over 30 years, Woody Allen is one of the great American directors currently working, with so many classics in his filmography that is difficult to point out what his best films are. The latter years haven't been as equally interesting in terms of his output, save for "Match Point" and "Small Time Crooks". I have been a huge Woody Allen film since the 80s when I was introduced to his work - I always found his films challenging, always visually interesting and innovative and his sense of humor absolutely hilarious. "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" is however one of the films that comes from his latest output, where everything just seems very placid. "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" follows the romantic entanglements of two college friends that come to Barcelona for a Summer holiday. Vicky is the more neurotic and cerebral friend, whereas Cristina is the more romantic and impulsive one. When they both encounter an enigmatic painter, an amorous triangle is formed, which is further complicated by the appearance of the painter's hellfire ex-wife. The actors are all uniformly good, with special highlight for Rebecca Hall and Penelope Cruz that infuses the film with some spark. The production design, photography are as always impeccable. Worth checking out.

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