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09 / 03 / 2010
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Reviews:
Sorry, there won't be any more movie reviews for the foreseeable future. Events have overtaken me. Catch up on reviews you may have missed.

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Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Cast: Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall.

Written and directed by Woody Allen.

Story: Spanish menage-a-trois.

Running Time: 1hr 36 minutes.

UK certificate 12A, US certificate PG-13.

 

Oo! Oo! It's the one where Scarlett Johansson snogs Penelope Cruz!

Cruz, Bardem and Johansson try to make an omelette without breaking any eggs. Woody Allen's a funny old stick. His movies seem to pop up now and again with very little hoopla, despite the fact that he's one of the best known directors in the world. His last two, Match Point and Cassandra's Dream, were both entertaining and both caused barely a ripple. Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a rather more trumpety affair, purely because it features last year's No Country for Old Men Oscar victor Javier Bardem, pillowy Scarlett Johansson and fiery Latina Penelope Cruz. Whilst superficially dealing with the rather attractive menage-a-trois between the three stars, beneath the surface you'll find a vein of ... no, hang on, it's all about the threesome. There's nothing else there. Did I mention Scarlett and Penelope get it on? I did? Well, talk amongst yourselves for a moment while I remind myself how that went...

Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johansson gain a fresh interest in their waiter when he demonstrates how he can breathe through his ears. I jest, of course. It's a very short and rather insignificant moment, when it comes down to it. There's no nudity in the whole movie, although Scarlett's fleshy bits do threaten the confines of the sheets at one point. The real reason for enjoying the movie is Bardem and Cruz - their tempestuous relationship vastly overshadows Scarlett and her buddy Rebecca Hall, who seem very flimsy in comparison. Whilst the widely-criticised voice-over-to-tell-the-story does seem intrusive at times, it's probably better than contriving to feed us all the little details through forced dialogue. Woody does know what he's doing, he's been at this game for quite a while now.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona is flawed, but still good. Whilst suffering from a little pretentiousness (though not as much as his "classic" Manhattan), it's colourful and vibrant enough to keep you watching. Recommended.

I enjoyed this film: 4/5

I think the average moviegoer will enjoy it: 4/5

Testosterone Satisfaction Rating: 2/5 - can't ignore that sapphic snog.

To enjoy this film: go for the latin passion, not titillation.

 

Vicky Cristina Barcelona was released in the UK on 13th February 2009.