Here's the funny thing--it turns out I liked Vicky better than Christina or Barcelona! That's not what I expected from the reviews, trailers, even the poster: Vicky is barely in any of them (if at all). Yet Vicky (played by British stage actress Rebecca Hall) has more screen time than either of the two female leads: Scarlett Johansson (the titular Christina) or Penelope Cruz (Maria Elena). What I really like about her is that she's uptight, intellectual, and brunette--a combination I have never been able to resist.
In her defense, who wouldn't jump at the chance to spend a weekend in the Spanish countryside with Javier Bardem? (I mean it beats 'Rodanthe'-- I don't even know where that is!!) As for the third woman in this love quadrangle, Woody Allen makes us wait a good hour before Penelope Cruz even makes an appearance! It is effective in one sense: after all the anticipation, she blazes a hole in the screen when she arrives and shakes up their world.
[SIDEBAR: I can't think of another foreign actress who is so markedly better in her native tongue than she is in English. If you need proof (and have Netflix), rent Abre los ojos, Vanilla Sky, Volver, and Woman on Top -- and watch them back-to-back-to-back. I dare you!!]
The movie unfolds as an adult exploration of love, passion, fear, and perpetual dissatisfaction with life... all the uncomfortable issues you expect in a Woody Allen film. I must say, getting him out of Manhattan has really rejuvenated his filmmaking.
On the other hand (there is always another hand) the film's drawbacks are apparent: Penelope Cruz is so good, you wish the movie were about her! Her scenes with Bardem show such untapped potential: that is the core relationship in the movie -- I wish it had been explored more. (How often do you get the 'King & Queen of Spanish Cinema' in the same movie, after all!) Second, the narration is rather bland. I don't know if its the fault of the script or the narrator, but if you are going to use that device, why not use it to its full advantage by providing some insight? Third, the climactic scene is somewhat of a dud, even though the movie ends on a satisfactory, wistful note that remains consistent with the overall tone of the film. And the too-few scenes of Barcelona's landmarks look strangely washed out.
Back to the first hand, the Spanish guitar-heavy soundtrack is awesome!! It really puts you in the place. (The opening theme alone is worth the price of admission). Book my flight now! (as soon as the dollar rebounds).
Even I'm not up to the challenge of watching those films.
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