It's fantastic to know that despite being in his 70s, Wood Allen can write and direct a deep, complex love story that goes against the grain. "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" follows Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Christina (Scarlett Johansson) as they spend the summer in Spain. (The title is self-explanatory.) Vicky is cautious, serious and about to marry a guy who is the poster boy for the Young Republicans. Cristina is wild and doesn't have a clue what she wants in love; she only knows what she doesn't want. But she's not even sure of that.
Out for dinner one might, the two women meet an artist (Javier Bardem, about as far from his role in "No Country for Old Men" as is humanly possible) who invites them to fly to away for the weekend. That's the start of the real comedy/drama of the rules of love, sex, human emotions and cultural differences.
I won't give much away, but will add that Penelope Cruz pops up as the crazed, emotional firecracker ex-wife of the artist. She steals the film. Watching the film is a joy as Allen has painted three very different young women and one complex man. The music and atmosphere of the film also are top notch.
But all is not perfect. Allen has added long bits of narration that I can only guess was inspired by the voice-over in "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford." It worked beautifully in the historical Western, creating an air of authority and history. Here, it gets in the way and made me feel like I was watching a historical romance piece made by the AP.
Not exactly the feeling Allen was hoping for, I suppose. There's also the nagging feeling that Allen has created a male fantasy film as Bardem is at the center of desire for three young women. Thank God, Allen didn't try and cast himself in the role. All said, Allen remains a force and his ear for imperfect characters remains wonderfully high. B
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment