Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a movie about two long-time friends, Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson), who spend a summer in Barcelona, Spain. They meet a painter called Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem), who introduces the girls to the Spanish lifestyle – especially love. Both girls are fascinated by the man’s confidence and his art. Eventually they find themselves enamored with him, but Juan Antonio’s ex-wife Maria Elena (Penélope Cruz) has her own intentions. Their love drama is extremely complicated, just like people in Spain.
If I had to identify myself with one character in the movie, it would be Vicky. She has planned her whole life ahead and has a clear sense of direction. She is going to marry her fiancé, live in a fancy apartment with him and start a family. Then the unexpected happens: she falls in love with another man. Needless to say that her whole life changes its course. Cristina is her opposite, she is fearless and passionate. She is what every woman wants to be. She throws herself into adventures with an open-minded attitude. Juan Antonio depicts the idyllic Spanish lover: charming, passionate and just a bit arrogant. Penélope Cruz does an amazing job bringing to life the ex-wife, Maria Elena. She is capricious, dangerous and breathtakingly beautiful. There is something hypnotizing about Cruz’s acting that brings out the soul of the film. Her astonishing performance even earned her a handful of awards, including an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.
One thing I personally would change about the film is the narrator. It feels like the cheery voice telling the obvious is just unnecessary for the plot. The narrator’s voice doesn’t work well with the romantic feel of the rest of the movie. Sometimes the narrative is almost childish, as if the viewer couldn’t see what is just happening in the movie. Maybe the narrator was intended to be a unique, artistic approach to a sensitive film, but in my opinion the attempt fails miserably.
Before seeing the film I had very high expectations, after all it was directed by the greatly praised Woody Allen. And he didn’t let me down. The movie is very dreamy, almost fairytale-like, but still manages to maintain its reality. The milieu is carefully chosen and the casting fits the ethereal atmosphere perfectly. Everything from the costumes to the setting has been handpicked with a close attention to detail, but rather than standing out, the elements blend together seamlessly. The result is a romantic setting with realistic characters, but just enough fantasy to spice things up.