In trying to watch any films that had been Oscar nominated and intrigued me enough with its critical reception, I’ve been working through this list at a leisurely pace, and what came through to my mailbox this weekend was Vicky Cristina Barcelona. This is the Woody Allen film that Penelope Cruz won a Best Supporting Actress award at the Oscars, as well as the British Oscars, and the film won best comedy/musical at the Golden Globes this year. (I’m not entirely convinced it was a comedy film though..)

The film starring Woody Allen’s latest muse in Scarlett Johannsson, Javier Bardem, Rebecca Hall and Penelope Cruz is much like a traveller’s guide for Spain, and Barcelona in particular as Vicky (Hall) and Cristina (Johannsson) travel to Barcelona for the summer in hopes of being inspired by art and architecture in Vicky’s case, and for Cristina, a bit of a summer fling.

The film is laid out somewhat theatrically, throughout the film an almost dry humoured narrator descriptively summarising how as best friends Vicky & Cristina were chalk & cheese; Vicky, engaged to be married to her smart, financially safe boyfriend, happy and content with an organised and planned out future, whilst Cristina was laid out, wanting love to not be planned at all, but spontaneous, passionate and fiery.  The friendly narrator spelt out that in love, and life they were both looking for different things entirely.

Until Bardem, as Juan Antonio enters the picture; introducing himself by inviting the two women to a small town for good food, wine and making love. Of course, Vicky is equally offended and appalled by his candor whilst Cristina is intrigued by his frankness, and how sexily rugged he is. So both women go on this spontaneous trip, in a small plane on a stormy night with a complete stranger. He seduces Cristina, quite easily; though she falls ill after a bit too much alcohol clashes with her ulcer, and then sets off to seduce, and woo Vicky. The conquest is much more pleasurable if the subject of the pursuit is reluctant, yes/no? This is the turning point at which Vicky questions what she always thought she wanted, and what she thought she didn’t in the unpredictable Juan Antonioo (yet despite her playing a much stronger role than Johannsson arguably, she doesn’t appear on the film’s poster)

The film looks like it should be the tourist advertisement for Spain; 15 minutes in and I wanted to book a holiday. Its beautifully shot, the scenery stunning, the cast gorgeous but when the plot is introduced as two women wanting love, though not knowing if they knew what kind of love each wanted; the film veers into a ridiculous path as Cruz is introduced as the unpredictable and fiery Marie Elena, Juan Antonio’s near suicidal ex-wife enters the picture.

The paradox here is that whilst Penelope Cruz as Marie Elena is captivating, and the rapport between her and Bardem is explosive and absolutely believable, passionate, volatile; the rapid-fire arguments in Spanish or broken English marvellous to watch; this characterisation stands out above the entire plot. Definitely Oscar worthy material. She and Bardem together are certainly responsible for holding up the film; however the lack of real direction, or a ‘point’ to the questions raised in the film are too frustrating to say this film was worth the Golden Globe for best Comedy/Musical.

Sure, its realistic to show that mistakes are bound to be made, and that growth and maturity is often enabled via these mistakes; but whilst Woody Allen is more than happy to show regrets and changes of mindset in the two lead characters during this Spanish summer; there is no resolution nor even an ambiguous ending to let the audience interpret it for themselves. Its almost as if the film ends slightly too early before any sort of ‘happy’ or ‘sad’ ending eventuates for the characters. I’m not entirely naive that I hope for fairytale endings and that the guy always gets the girl, or vice versa, but the story and characterisation should always at least point to a plausible ‘resolution’ in order to satisfy the viewer and feel as if there is closure to that moment in the protagonists’ life, in this case for Vicky & Cristina as they depart Spain, and even for Juan Antonio and his relationship with Marie Elena.

I recommend watching it, but only perhaps for inspiring a Spanish wanderlust.

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