Vicky Christina Barcelona

[Bob Juch]

I just finished watching this film. I hated it. Maybe it was that the narration was so unnecessary or that like all Woody Allen films in the last twenty or so years it's all talk, but it actually put me to sleep. I "rewound" and watched what I missed again, but that didn't help.

The narration was really, really, bad. You never, ever, narrate what can be seen happening on the screen. Saying what can be easily shown is also bad. Both rules were violated repeatedly.

I don't think Penélope Cruz deserved the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. She pretty much played herself.

[Jeemie]

Woody Allen is pretty much out of material, IMHO...maybe it's true what he says...he's afraid of dying so he keeps "talking" (i.e. making movies) to distract himself from the fact that he is going to die.

Of course, if I was Scarlett Johansson, I'd stay away...far away. She seems to be the next in a long line of women that gives Woody...well...a woody.

[Estonut]

I don't think Penélope Cruz deserved the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. She pretty much played herself.

How cool! How long have you known her?

[ghostjmf]

BobJuch says:

I don't think Penélope Cruz deserved the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. She pretty much played herself.

Estonut says, in response:

How cool! How long have you known her?

Now, Sarcasm-Impaired, Estonut's comment, re my definition in that other thread, is a good example of sarcasm! Make that Sarcasm!

Unless it turns out BobJ & Penelope C really do hang out.

Together.

[peacock2121]

BobJuch says:

I don't think Penélope Cruz deserved the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. She pretty much played herself.

Estonut says, in response:

How cool! How long have you known her?

Now, Sarcasm-Impaired, Estonut's comment, re my definition in that other thread, is a good example of sarcasm! Make that Sarcasm!

Unless it turns out BobJ & Penelope C really do hang out.

Together.

This interaction is perfection.

absolute perfection

[silverscreenselect]

I saw Vicky Christina Barcelona last summer. I fell asleep and missed about half of Cruz's performance. I saw no need to go back to see the rest of the film.

I did like Match Point a couple of years ago, and I wanted to see that other movie he made last winter (the English one with Colin Ferrell and Ewan McGregor) but it played briefly at the art theater and I missed it.

[ghostjmf]

I hate blase' movies about triangular (or quadrangular, as appears was intended in this one, at least by the Bardem character) sex affairs. But the snips I've seen of Cruz's performance almost made me want to see this one, for her hellcat turn alone.

When the ex is about 400 times more interesting (even to another woman, watching the movie) than the new sex-affair interest(s), you have to wonder why the couple broke up in the 1st place. But that's why its a movie.

[Weyoun]

Woody Allen was more interesting when he was younger and could sleep with attractive women, instead of just making movies about them.

[Estonut]

I hate blase' movies about triangular (or quadrangular, as appears was intended in this one, at least by the Bardem character) sex affairs. But the snips I've seen of Cruz's performance almost made me want to see this one, for her hellcat turn alone.

When the ex is about 400 times more interesting (even to another woman, watching the movie) than the new sex-affair interest(s), you have to wonder why the couple broke up in the 1st place. But that's why its a movie.

Sex affair? You sound like Adrian Monk!

[ghostjmf]

Estonut says:

Sex affair?

You think, to paraphrase a song ("All Right Now"), that this stuff is about love?

[Estonut]

Estonut says:

Sex affair?

You think, to paraphrase a song ("All Right Now"), that this stuff is about love?

I wouldn't presume to know without seeing the movie.

[Bob Juch]

Woody Allen is pretty much out of material, IMHO...maybe it's true what he says...he's afraid of dying so he keeps "talking" (i.e. making movies) to distract himself from the fact that he is going to die.

Of course, if I was Scarlett Johansson, I'd stay away...far away. She seems to be the next in a long line of women that gives Woody...well...a woody.

Freida Pinto and Naomi Watts will be in Woody's next film. Josh Brolin and Anthony Hopkins will also be in it.

[Jeemie]

Woody Allen is pretty much out of material, IMHO...maybe it's true what he says...he's afraid of dying so he keeps "talking" (i.e. making movies) to distract himself from the fact that he is going to die.

Of course, if I was Scarlett Johansson, I'd stay away...far away. She seems to be the next in a long line of women that gives Woody...well...a woody.

Freida Pinto and Naomi Watts will be in Woody's next film. Josh Brolin and Anthony Hopkins will also be in it.

OK- maybe Scarlett got wise!

[Flybrick]

BobJ,

This could be a sign of the end; I agree with you.

Even two beautiful women couldn't make this clunker of a movie work.

It's sooo typically upper class/affluent Manhattan, i.e., any Woody Allen movie for the last 20 years.

I found myself wondering how do these people pay for the beer, villas, fuel for the airplane, etc, etc, instead of following the non-existent plot.

Ok, I get it. You are all dissatisfied with your life and we should pity you your looks and apparent wealth to world travel and experience....emptiness.

Got it.

And the Scarlett Johanson character was a classic in the psycho-chick category. No matter what, she's not ever going to be happy or content. Good luck with that, let me know how it works out for you when you're, say, 55....

[ghostjmf]

Estonut says:

I wouldn't presume to know without seeing the movie.

I have seen the clips. I have read the reviews. I have seen the more clips. If, to paraphrase another song, love has anything to do with it (except for the obvious torch the Cruz character carries for her creepy ex, which makes her the most empathetic character in the movie, at least from the clips), I will be very surprised.

I miss "Roeper & Ebert-substitute". I got from that show enough clips & intelligent discussion to tell me if I was at all interested. Ad campaigns, with presumably the best scene given away, don't exactly do that for me.

[Jeemie]

Good luck with that, let me know how it works out for you when you're, say, 55....

It seems to be working out for Woody just fine...well, except that he's not a good-looking chick.

As I said, existential angst can fuel a couple of movies.

LOOONG before you reach 20 or 30, it gets old.

Woody hasn't had anything new to say since the 70s.

[Jeemie]

Estonut says:

Sex affair?

You think, to paraphrase a song ("All Right Now"), that this stuff is about love?

I wouldn't presume to know without seeing the movie.

It's a Woody Allen movie.

You've already seen it...even if you haven't.

[Bob Juch]

Estonut says:
You think, to paraphrase a song ("All Right Now"), that this stuff is about love?

I wouldn't presume to know without seeing the movie.

It's a Woody Allen movie.

You've already seen it...even if you haven't.

Yep! I would have known Woody Allen wrote it - if I hadn't known already - after hearing just five minutes of dialog. Same with David Mamet directed films.

[frogman042]

Good luck with that, let me know how it works out for you when you're, say, 55....

It seems to be working out for Woody just fine...well, except that he's not a good-looking chick.

As I said, existential angst can fuel a couple of movies.

LOOONG before you reach 20 or 30, it gets old.

Woody hasn't had anything new to say since the 70s.

Maybe, but he said it in interesting ways in the 80's, IMO, where I think some of his best work was done - the last being Crimes and Misdemeanors. I think that was his last great movie. Most of his work after that just didn't work for me with the exceeptions of Bullets Over Broadway, Sweet and Lowdown and Matchpoint (although a too much of a retread of key plot elements of C&M, it was well written, performed and i felt enjoyable).

[Jeemie]

<SNIP>...and Matchpoint.</SNIP>

I tried to like Match Point since I majorly lust after Scarlett Johansson- I really did- but I couldn't...for just the reasons you describe.

Just like I tried to like VCB (had both Johansson AND Penelope Cruz- YUM!), but that movie was just downright annoying.

Plus, no man in his right mind would have left the Penelope Cruz character. That did a dull thud with me.

[Flybrick]

Plus, no man in his right mind would have left the Penelope Cruz character. That did a dull thud with me.

Dunno about that.

Her character would have scored pretty high on the y axis for any hot to psycho graph.

After a while, it would wear thin...

[Jeemie]

Plus, no man in his right mind would have left the Penelope Cruz character. That did a dull thud with me.

Dunno about that.

Her character would have scored pretty high on the y axis for any hot to psycho graph.

After a while, it would wear thin...

Better the psycho than the two Americans.

But maybe that's just me.

[Flybrick]

No disagreement re the two 'trapped' American women.

What cowards and deceptive creatures they portrayed. Hubbies might be boring or whatever, but then the women should have been honest enough to speak up. Not sneak around.

Still, the risk of getting stabbed by the hot, but psycho, chick is one I would pass on.