Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Romance is full of love/hate relationships and this is how I felt about the film Vicky Cristina Barcelona. It begins with a very clever recital introducing us to the characters Vicky and Cristina, two American women who will be spending their summer in Spain. At first I enjoyed the snappy dialogue of the narrator, but soon my eyes wanted to linger on the gorgeous Spanish scenery and the faces of these two beautiful girls. I had to keep telling myself to pay attention and listen, or I would miss some important detail.

When the opening account was over I settled into the film like a good book on summer vacation. But soon the narrative jolted me awake like an insensitive pool side waiter. When there was no narration, I loved this film. But during the parts with witty expository I felt like I had to jog to keep up. The rapid Film Noir style narration didn’t match the tone of this forbidden-love romantic comedy. Like the character of Vicky I longed to be swept up in the fantasy, throw caution aside, and live in the moment. But like a gun wielding ex breaking in before the kiss, this just wasn’t possible. The performances of all the principals were excellent. I was particularly taken with Javier Bardem who seduced me with his decidedly male logic. If you are a Woody Allen fan or love absurd love stories I would recommend this film in it’s Second Run, for everyone else, Rent It.

Rating: Rent It