Vicky Cristina Barcelona is Woody Allen’s sexual Crimes and Misdemeanors except paralysis in the face of happiness is more likely than in the face of guilt after murder. The premise is simple: will you always chase the ultimate happiness, which may not exist and you may give up something transcendent and unique to do so, or settle for constant but mediocre levels of satisfaction though there is definitely something better, but possibly limited and temporary.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a Woody Allen movie and like most, if not all, Woody Allen movies, there are a few things that you have to sign temporary waivers for if you’re going to enjoy this movie: conventional and common sexual relationship dynamics, daily economic practicalities and an endless supply of beautiful, charming and highly educated people. If you can’t suspend disbelief on those three things, then I wouldn’t even try to watch Vicky Cristina Barcelona. I was able to set aside my moral compass for 96 minutes, and I enjoyed Vicky Cristina Barcelona. There are plenty of scenes with implied sex, but any child could be in the room and miss it.
I think that it is impossible not to enjoy Vicky Cristina Barcelona because it is a world without negative consequences even if you encounter someone with serious mental disabilities that can be exhibited in violent behavior. Vicky Cristina Barcelona suggests that Americans need a rationale to live fully: a thesis, a career, etc. whereas the natives in Spain live a naturally full life. I will defer to the people of Spain whether or not this representation is accurate or a stereotype.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona shows Javier Bardem at his hottest. He and Penelope Cruz may be one of the few married couples that don’t fail when the camera tries to capture their energy. For those who complain that Woody Allen doesn’t cast enough black people, you can all hush because Rebecca Hall stars in it, and her mother has African American ancestry. Maybe he didn’t know….