Movie Reviews, Opinions, and Theories

Starring: Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz
Director: Woody Allen
Grade: A

Woody Allen’s new film, Vicky Christina Barcelona is an instant classic. Christopher Evan Welch is the narrator in the film that gives the background on the two main characters, Vicky (Hall) and Christina (Johansson). The narration in the film perfectly complements the mood and pace of the film. Allen’s characters instigate non traditional thought amongst those who may think in a traditional matter.Vicky is a prude, engaged American women which values family and commitment. After meeting Juan Antonio, she begins to break away from her comfortable view of relationship. Christina is the wild one of the two. She is hardly resistant to Juan Antonio’s European charm. Here sexuality grows to a new level when Juan Antonio’s past lover Maria Elena comes into the mix. Although Christina is sexually matured to a level where she finds experimentation interesting, her new sex life with the two spaniards eventually becomes to overwhelming. Just when the characters in the film feel as they have adapted to the free love european spirit, they later find them selves more confused then at their arrival in Spain.

The film is saying that regardless of how happy you are, humans feel that there is more to gain. Humans are naturally insatiable to life. what this means is that we are always looking for more and are never satisfied. This film is not about experiencing everything life and other cultures have to offer. In America, we lack culture. Americans are enamored with anything that is foreign. This ranges from ethnic foods to different accents. This may be a reason why Woody Allen has made three films in a row in Europe, when his prior films take place in New York.

This film is very well acted from an all star cast. Each character is very dense. There are many different elements in the response to a lustful relationship. These range from happiness to jealousy to being psychotic. This was a very interesting script that resulted in more that a comedy. Woody Allen is at the top of his game with this film. Woody Allen has this style that is often imitated, however never duplicated.

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