Much of this film is blatantly told to us, narrated by a toneless male voice that obviates the need for actors to show thoughts and feelings.
Comment
08/15/08
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
141 - 160 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
A pleasant enough diversion with some great performances and beautiful cinematography to just make it worth recommending.
08/15/08
While it may not quite belong in the top ranks alongside such avowed masterpieces as "Manhattan" or "The Purple Rose of Cairo," it is the first one of his comedies in quite a while to at least deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as those titles.
08/14/08
With Vicky Cristina Barcelona the 72 year-old Allen comes ever closer to Ozu's territory, finding a kind of serenity in the acceptance of life's inevitable disappointments.
08/14/08
It is refreshing that Allen has shaken the Manhattan dust off his shoes and brought his filmmaking talents to Paris, London and, now, sunny Barcelona.
08/14/08
Vicky shows Allen deflecting his chapter-and-verse filmmaking for better and worse and, in a career that was already cemented as legendary by the early '90s, that counts for something.
08/14/08
Why would you choose to be Vicky, the film seems to ask, if you could be Cristina instead? (Or, why move in with the bridge-and-tunnel crowd when you could be bedding the urban sophisticates?)
08/14/08
A breezy romantic comedy from Woody Allen about the different shades of love.
08/14/08
Bardem and Cruz bring a vitality that Allen's work hasn't seen since he converted to Scarlett Johansson-ism a few years ago.
08/14/08
The performances of Bardem, Cruz, Johansson and Hall are delightfully inventive, with Cruz in particular relishing the tempestuous nature of Maria Elena and her tantrums.
08/14/08
Writer/director Woody Allen has assembled one of his most unusual casts for his latest, European set film and his combination of recent favorite, new discovery and local blood sizzles and sparks.
08/14/08
A comparatively minor success on Woody Allen's directorial resume, but its reflective depiction of post-collegiate confusion and yearning rings true.
08/14/08
While the territory is familiar, the terrain is new: Allen shoots his title city with an eye for its art and architecture.
08/14/08
The subsequent plot offers little in the way of inspiration, but plenty in the way of amusement.
08/14/08
If Woody Allen's heart still belongs to New York City, he's had a thrilling, invigorating fling with northeastern Spain.
08/14/08
Retains expected performance momentum, and positively sells the hell out of a lusty Spanish vacation.
08/14/08
Smart, sexy and so alive with desire you can practically hear it sizzle.
08/14/08
[Allen] seems freer here, more comfortable in his rhythm and less anxious to prove himself in a foreign land.
08/14/08
Another year, another minor masterpiece from writer-director Woody Allen.
08/14/08
Smart, mature film about love, lust, and more.
08/14/08
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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