A warm, clever, sexy film from Woody Allen and a real improvement on his last "return to form", Match Point. Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) are two Americans summering in Spain. Vicky, studying Catalan culture, is reserved and cynical, engaged to a smarmy man called Doug. Cristina likes to see herself as a free spirit, impulsive and interested in photography. When they arrive in Barcelona they are propositioned by a handsome Spanish artist, Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem). Whilst Cristina is all too keen to take Juan Antonio on his offer of a weekend in nearby Oviedo where they will "make love", Vicky is outraged at his brazen proposition. Both girls end up falling for Juan Antonio, but in very different ways. The arrival of his fiery ex-wife, María Elena (Penelope Cruz) complicates things further and both Vicky and Cristina are forced to rethink their positions on love and life.
Like Allen's British films, Vicky Cristina Barcelona is full of national clichés, but what was grating and offensive in Match Point feels much more tongue-in-cheek here. In part this is doubtless down to his actors, in particular Penelope Cruz, whose Oscar-winning turn as a Latin firebrand hits just the right note. Likewise Hall and Johansson strike just the right contrast together. When we meet them they appear as counter opposites - as head and heart - before the script complicates their two very separate set of ideals for amusing results. Breezy and good-humoured, Allen's summery romance is hard to dislike.
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