Vicky Cristina Barcelona - A Movie Review

In a single line this movie can be summarised as the struggle that extremely creative people go through to find peace and harmony in their life. Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a story about two girls, Vicky and Cristina who spend a summer in Barcelona, Spain; it is also about two interesting, extremely talented artists (Juan Antonio & Maria Elena) that the two girls meet during their visit.

Characters:

Vicky (Rebecca Hall)- Vicky is practical. She is very confident about what she wants in life, or at least, so she thinks in the beginning of the movie. She is engaged to a decent, committed man back in the US. According to me Vicky represents a class of people who in the name of culture and traditions hide away from their true emotions. Judy (A relative in Barcelona) in a way is what perhaps Vicky will turn out to be.

Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) – Cristina on the other hand, unlike Vicky is passionate, romantic and loves to flow with the moment as it comes. She enjoys experimenting with life in search of something she or many of us do not know. She represents thr unconventional people who welcome the unexpected.

Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem) – Antonio is an artist. He is first shown as a Casanova, a charmer but as one gets to know him more through the movie, he discloses himself as a very creative and caring individual - expressing his emotions openly. He criticizes and at the same time idealizes his ex-wife Maria.

Maria Elena (Penélope Cruz who won the oscars for this role) – A replica of Antonio, matches his spirit and creaivity like a mirror. Just like a mirror image, they are a perfect match but at the same time can never live together. She is extremely spontaneous when it comes to her painting or her behaviour. 

Art:

Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a rich portrayal of art. It captures one of the most beautiful locations in the world and walks us through the beautiful architectures created by Antoni Gaudi.

But most interestingly it talks of art as a subject; it speaks about painting, photography and poetry. One is thrown into the life of artists like Maria and Antonio who admire and get inspired by each other’s work. The two inspire and influence Cristina to take up her interest in photography seriously by setting up a dark room in their basement. 

Antonio’s father is an interesting character too. He denies speaking in any other language but Spanish. He believes that a poet should not pollute his tongue. He hates the world and hence creates wonderful poems but never publishes them, thus denying it to the world which he thinks, even after so many years of civilization has not learnt to love.

Relationships & Sex:

Relationships & Sex are important elements of this movie. The movie speaks of different types of relationships that exist in this world. It shows how three people are experimental about love; it discusses one night stand; it talks of unhappy marriages and the guilt of infidelity. It explores bisexuality.

One of the interesting scenes in the movie is when Antonio approaches the two girls for the first time and directly asks them to accompany him to a city called Oviedo where he would expect them to enjoy a beautiful work of art and later share his bed. Vicky is amused by his arrogant bluntness but Cristina is impressed and accepts the invitation.

A unique relationship is formed between Cristina, Maria and Antonio; all three in love with each other. Maria and Antonio think that their love had a missing ingredient and hence they loved and hated each other at the same time until Cristina arrived and completed their love. The movie Vicky Cristina Barcelona explores an eccentric view on love and relationships.

Maria even thinks that only unfulfilled love can be romantic.

Summary:

Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a poem. It’s beautiful and creative. The movie uses a voice over to describe thoughts and complex emotions. It is straight forward, fast paced and wound with beautiful Spanish music and settings. Vicky Cristina Barcelona is definetly one of Woody Allen's best films. It is a movie about extremely creative people and their eccentric thoughts and lives, which I think is a life beyond domestic chores and paychecks. It is about the artistic part of life, where humans are still in the process of understanding themselves and this nature.