Occasionally endearingly audacious, Woody Allen's screenplay for Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a further riff on the unique, unpredictable nature of romantic relationships among the human race
Comment
12/19/08
Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
82
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:185
Fresh:151
Rotten:34
Average Rating:6.9/10
Consensus: A beguiling tragicomedy, Vicky Cristina Barcelona charms with beautiful views of the Spanish city and a marvelously well-matched cast.
Genre: Dramas
US Box Office: $23,164,041
Synopsis: Two young Americans spend a summer in Spain and meet a flamboyant artist (Javier Bardem) and his beautiful but insane ex-wife (Penelope Cruz). Vicky (Rebecca Hall) is straight-laced and about to... [More]
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Penélope Cruz, Rebecca Hall, Javier Bardem
Director: Woody Allen
Reviews for Vicky Cristina Barcelona
1 - 20 (sorted by comments; Australian critics are listed first)
Top Critic[Allen's] best film in years.
12/26/08
Top CriticOne of the world’s most beautiful cities provides a stunning backdrop for a fairly routine comedy about a culture clash between Americans on holiday and their Spanish hosts.
12/19/08
Top CriticJohansson, fast becoming the Diane Keaton or Mia Farrow of Allen's mature years, treads a deft path between sensuousness, vulnerability and self-delusion.
01/02/09
Top CriticLove has never been so complicated as in Woody Allen's scrumptious Vicky Cristina Barcelona, a sexy romp involving a ménage a trois that keeps changing like the ever-changing tide of love itself
12/19/08
Top CriticThe humour is more situational, less assertive, less reliant on wisecracks and obvious punchlines.
01/15/09
Top CriticIt's literally difficult to believe that the person who made this picturesque, clueless, oddly misanthropic picture also made Annie Hall and Crimes and Misdemeanors.
08/15/08
There was hope in 2005 that Woody Allen had re-discovered his groove with the release of Match Point. Since then, however, he has slipped back into the sinkhole of mediocrity that kept him from greatness throughout most of the '90s and '00s.
07/22/08
Watching Allen fart out a story when he has no characters is always painful.
08/15/08
It all begins to feel veddy, veddy pretentious and a very, very long way from the Brooklyn or Manhattan that he actually understands.
08/14/08
Despite the big budget and name stars, Vicky Cristina Barcelona shows Allen’s 98th film stumbling into mumblecore, fumbling with love and class like a spoiled brat who’s never seen a Rohmer, Malle, Renoir or Ophuls masterpiece.
08/13/08
Vicky Cristina Barcelona is basically the most arrogant film of the year, an occasion for Allen to feign interest in challenging heteronormic ideals when all he's doing is advancing a simplified view of female sexual agency.
08/09/08
Just the title suggests how profound the movie is. If he'd called it Vicky and Cristina Go to Barcelona, that's obvious and basic. Just using the key words says, 'Here's what we're dealing with, now you figure out the proper grammer.'
08/16/08
He is a little like Eric Rohmer here. The actors are attractive, the city is magnificent, the love scenes don't get all sweaty, and everybody finishes the summer a little wiser and with a lifetime of memories. What more could you ask?
08/15/08
Top CriticClick to read the article
12/29/08
As exhilarating, captivating and enjoyable as a summer romance in an exotic city.
08/15/08
Top CriticA thought-provoking cautionary tale juxtaposing blind adherence to American Puritanical values against some more open-minded alternative ways of relating.
08/18/08
Vicky Cristina Barcelona is so engaging so much of the time that it feels like a modest rejuvenation: evidence that a summer in Spain can do wonders for a writer-director who may not have outlived his prime.
08/15/08
Vicky Cristina Barcelona doesn't feel like your standard Woody Allen comedy. And that's just one reason why it's such a joy to behold.
01/27/09
A smart, satisfying movie. Once again, Allen removes himself from Manhattan, and finds his muse in Europe.
08/15/08
Latest News for Vicky Cristina Barcelona
January 27, 2009:
Milk Among GLAAD Nominees 
"Milk" has been a favorite on the awards circuit this year, and its hot streak has been extended courtesy of the GLAAD Media Awards, where it will compete in the Outstanding... More...
January 23, 2009:
Possibly distinguished solely for the first PG-13 lesbian smooching on screen ever, the film should be a trite, pleasing guy confection.
More...
January 19, 2009:
Actors And Crew Magazine: Possibly distinguished solely for the first PG-13 lesbian smooching on screen ever, the film should be a trite, pleasing guy confection.
More...
January 08, 2009:
Broadcast Film Critics Name Critics' Choice Winners
The 14th Annual Critics' Choice Awards were given on January 8, 2009, to honor the finest achievements in 2008 filmmaking. A list of nominees follows below, with winners in bold: More...
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