Vicky Christina Barcelona (2008)

“Why not? Life is short. Life is dull. Life is full of pain. And this is a chance for something special. ” – Juan Antonio

Number of Times Seen – Twice (10 Feb 2009 and 4 Apr 2019)

Brief Synopsis – While vacationing in Spain, two best friends start a relationship with a painter and then things getting more complicated when his ex-wife returns.

My Take on it – This is a movie that I saw not long after it came out slightly more than a decade ago and didn’t recall much about the specific story, but still remembered the various actors in the film.

Woody Allen is able to create a very interesting story that shows the various dynamics of a somewhat unconventional relationship.

The story manages to show how feelings and relationships themselves can shift quite easily over short spans of time.

The cast of this film is superb and they help keep things quite enjoyable since we get to see some great interactions between them that come across as seeming quite plausible and realistic throughout the entire film.

Allen is able to give these characters intriguing dialogue that manages to add numerous layers to the way that this story unfolds.

I liked the way that this film doesn’t feel like a typical Woody Allen film and gives a whole different aura to the story.

Penelope Cruz stands out the most among the cats and was able to garner an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in this movie.

Bottom Line – Interesting story that says so much about the way relationships can shift over small spans of time. Excellent cast helps make this quite an enjoyable film because we get to see some great interactions that all seem quite plausible and realistic throughout. Allen’s dialogue is written really well and it adds numerous layers to the way the story unfolds especially since this film feels very different from many of his previous stories. Cruz won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in this film. Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” was based on a screenplay Woody Allen originally wrote years earlier, which was set in San Francisco. Since his deal for this film specified that it must be shot in Spain, Allen looked for a story from his files that could be rewritten for a Spanish setting, took his old San Francisco-set script and rewrote it to take place in Barcelona. (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy (8/10)