Woody Allen's career recently has been up and down. Moving his attentions from New York to London has only been half successful. Match Point was great, Scoop didn't even get released in the UK (even though it was part financed by the BBC) and Cassandra's Dream was an out-and-out disaster. So Allen has now moved to Spain and has got back to what he does best...dealing the the neurosis of relationships.
Vicky and Cristina, two American friends, go to Barcelona and immediately find themselves involved in an artist who wants to take them away for the weekend and sleep with both of them. There starts a bumping relationship which includes guilt, acceptance and throw in the mix an insane ex wife, and the pot almost boils over.
If you believe the British press, you will be told this is hilarious. it is not. Instead, Allen has created an interesting examination of love and how you never do find what you are looking for. As always, his script is both intelligent and genuinely witty without too many belly laughs. The performances are also faultless.
Scarlett Johannson is given the safe role and it doesn't exactly stretch her; Javier Bardem is perfectly smoldering as the artist, but it is Rebecca Hall as the emotionally confused Vicky who comes off best, with a performance of great depth, while Penelope Cruz gets the chance to scream and shout and is the film's most bizarre character.
If you are not a fan of Allen, then you might find this all a little heavy, but it is ten times better than any of the usual rom-coms that Hollywood produces, because it is believable and has none of that fairy-tale clap-trap.Oh, and let's not forget the kiss between Johannson and Cruz...worth any one's money.
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