In anticipation of Writer/Director Woody Allen's latest feature, "You Will Meet A Tall Dark Stranger," I am now presenting the first of two older reviews of Allen's previous two features. Here is the first, which was originally written February 27, 2009.
"VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA" (2008)
Written and Directed by Woody Allen
**** (4 stars)
The modern day romantic comedy owes a tremendous debt to Woody Allen. While he certainly did not invent the genre, Allen's "Annie Hall" (1977) and "Manhattan" (1979) broke staggeringly new ground and we have been feeling the aftershocks ever since, most notably in Rob Reiner's 1989 classic "When Harry Met Sally..." Unfortunately, most romantic comedies that are released these days have not adhered to the intelligent, and deeply observed films of Allen's classics as they typically are trite confections of cinematic cotton candy filled with false emotions, completely contrived and predictable situations and shockingly, a huge lack of romance.
As for Allen himself, I treasure his talent and film legacy. Yet, there is the possibility that when someone is as prolific as he is, by making a film nearly every year, the quality may sometimes suffer and I have to say that I felt he had been treading water for a while. Then, he went to London and made three films there, including the masterful "Match Point" (2005) and the underrated "Cassandra's Dream" (2007). Now, he's moved on to Spain for his latest film and the change of scenery has been wonderfully rejuvenating and I think that he has produced a work that equals his high quality output of films during the late 1980's and throughout the 1990's: work that included "Crimes and Misdemeanors" (1989), "Alice" (1990), "Husbands and Wives" (1992), "Manhattan Murder Mystery" (1993) and "Bullets Over Broadway"(1994).
With Allen's' latest plot (two young American tourists--Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johanssen-- find their differing notions of life and love challenged and tested during a summer in Spain) doesn't re-invent the "romantic comedy wheel" by any means, but relocating the action to Spain has added a new layer to the work, most notably, as a cultural critique of America's "quality of life" as compared to Spain's. The cinematography, music and locale are appropriately lush and filled with warm colors that effortlessly seduce the viewer's senses into the frisky mood of the setting, characters and their situations. It may even inspire a need to travel!
Allen's casting remains impeccable with Javier Bardem and fresh Oscar winner Penelope Cruz as standouts in their roles as formerly married artists still bound passionately to each other and the disastrous history of their romance. Their chemistry was so palpable that I am wishing Allen would consider making a "prequel" to show us how these two characters met, married and fell apart.
There has been some debate about Scarlett Johanssen's actual acting talent and the possibility that she was way out of her depth in this film. I felt that she hit all of the right notes with her performance as Cristina, a woman who feels that the validity and purity of love affairs all rest within some sort of tension and drama. Yet, when faced with the smoldering Bardem and the mentally ill and manically vibrant Cruz, her perceptions are confronted as she is now has true romantic turmoil staring her in the face. Cristina is romantically out of her depth and Johanssen played the role honestly.
As with any film from Woody Allen, there exists his brillant dialogue and with "Vicky Cristine Barcelona," the dialogue is a joy to listen to! Woody Allen is nearly peerless with his ear for intelligent, eloquent, literary dialogue that never for a moment feels false, talks down to its audience or betrays the motives, desires, thoughts, hopes and fears of his characters. It is simply a pleasure to have a filmmaker who treats his audience as smart people and his refusal to pander should be applauded more than it typically is.
For someone who has claimed to have a more nihilistic view of the world and life itself, it is amazing to me that Woody Allen, for over 40 years now, has continued to make film after film mining this subject matter (and the meaning of love in particular) in a humorous and often philosophical and open-hearted way.
"Vicky Cristina Barcelona" is one of his finest and the world of romantic comedies is graced to have its presence.
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