I never really knew what to expect from the movie Vicky Cristina Barcelona, except that it had an art film vibe to it. I expected to doze off a little the way I usually do with drama movies, but surprisingly, the film was able to hold its own in the interest sustenance department (says the narcoleptic). If I were to describe Vicky Cristina Barcelona in one word, I would say it was PASSIONATE. In fact, I don't think I've ever watched a film with that much passion in a really long time.
In a nutshell, the movie is about two close friends named Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) who spend a summer in Barcelona (hence the *gasp* title). They both get involved with a Spanish painter named Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem, who is a dead ringer for Jeffrey Dean Morgan, a. k. a. Denny Duquette in Grey's Anatomy) in different ways - Vicky in a confuse-me-before-and-after-my-wedding sort of way, and Cristina in an, err, slightly more tangled love web with Juan Antonio and his ex-wife Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz).Curious?
Anything that involves psychotic, suicidal/murderous exes would probably be too much to handle in a movie (fortunately/unfortunately though, the only "crime" of passion was an accidental bullet to the hand), but for some reason the neurotic undertone in this movie struck me as appealing. I never really liked Penelope Cruz, but in this movie, she was particularly noteworthy as the beautifully eccentric Maria Elena. Ironically, it was also only in this movie that I've actually found her beautiful, in the divinely gorgeous sense. I also liked the character and beauty of Rebecca Hall (whom I never really knew before this movie) as the serious, level-headed Vicky, who wanted nothing in her life but stability. Even Scarlett, whom I never really appreciated as an actress seemed perfect for the role of the carefree and spontaneous Cristina.
In conclusion, the movie starred very beautiful people and this is actually the only point of my post. Hahaha. :P Kidding aside, I liked Vicky Cristina Barcelona not only because of its physical beauty with its beautiful actresses and picturesque backdrop, but also because of its beautiful, open-ended, thought-inducing story. It attempted to explore the various intricacies of love and relationships (love as a commitment, love as passion, love as a feeling, love as a choice, love with no bounderies, etc., etc.) which is a lot to handle in less than two hours, but this unsettlement is what makes the film different... in a stunningly good way. And why not? As the movie puts it, only unfulfilled love can be romantic.
And finally, what makes the movie particularly memorable for me is how Vicky and Cristina were basically the same people as they were before that summer in Barcelona. Most vacation movies are all about transformations and self-reinventions, which, while not necessarily bad, are typical. When sometimes, a radically different experience does not teach you something groundbreaking about yourself but merely affirms who you are and want you want (or not want) out of life and love.
All in all, Vicky Cristina Barcelona is not a light movie to watch but if you're looking for a passionate, raw take on love and humanity, it will give you just that.
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