Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

Woody Allen is undeniably one of the most cynical writer/director i have come across. but inside every cynic, secretly there is a hopeless romantic inside. and thats just what woody allen is. almost all his films deal with relationships of some sort (annie hall, manhattan, match point). whether it is the mishaps, chances, or the downfalls of relationships, its all there...and really, vicky cristina barcelona is no different.

vicky (rebecca hall) and cristina (scarlett johansson) go on a trip to barcelona and become infatuated by a spanish painter (javier bardem), unaware of his ex wife (penelope cruz) who is about to re-enter the picture.

Allen shows true depictions of the hardships that come with each relationship. What is so unusually appealing about Bardem and Cruz’s relationship is that, through their undying love, Johanssan is the medium they need in order to create a healthy relationship. Threesomes are not considered "traditional" but when i saw this, it made sense. Vicky on the other hand, is realistic and plans to marry a guy back at home and inevitably falls for someone else who becomes a bigger problem than she ever thought would be.

woody allen consistently deals with regret, guilt, chance, and the behavior of people and while his recent films have been a let down to allen fans, this film never ceases to please. it is a classic woody allen film. it has everything any fan needs: cynicism, relationships, and some new york! (sorry no classic woody acting) so for all cynics out there, it will be an enjoyable film and will make one rethink about that standards of love. some may feel dissatisfied but thats what one has to expect when watching a woody film. he talks and lives about truth and thats what he reflects in his films: that life is not always picture perfect.

p.s. i thought it was cleaver how they made the title... hence three is the magic number...