'Vicky Cristina Barcelona' review

Penélope Cruz is a standout in "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" (Credit: Victor Bello/TWC)

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American best friends Vicky (Rebecca Hall), the sensible one, and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson), the free-spirited romantic, decide to spend a summer in Barcelona.  But things get really interesting when they meet suave local artist Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem) and his volatile on-and-off lover Maria Elena (Penélope Cruz, very funny), who teach the pals surprising lessons about love and relationships.

Big question: Can the beauty and sensuality of Spain reenergize the once great Woody Allen's filmmaking even more than his recent U.K.-set efforts?

Catch it: Who knew the old guy still had it in him? This is Allen's freshest and friskiest work in years. His direction hasn't been as light-footed since 1996's musical "Everyone Says I Love You" and his cinematic relationships haven't felt as meaningful since 1992's "Husbands and Wives." No matter what creative state he's in Allen can always attract a quality cast, but the difference with this first rate ensemble is all in the material they have to work with. Even Johansson, uneven in her two previous Allen outings, fits perfectly into the role of an open-minded sexual adventurer.

Skip it: If you're only interested in the movie's buzzed-about sexuality. Yes, there's a threeway relationship and yes, Cruz and Johansson share a kiss. But even though this is easily as close as a Woody Allen movie has ever come to being sexy, it's still a film where the characters talk about sex more than they actually do it (on screen at least).

Bottom line: Thinking of Allen as an important filmmaker went out of fashion around the time Bill Clinton was elected President, but the writer-director's 39th (!) feature blends the excitement of a storyteller still capable of surprising himself (and his audience) with the smooth craftsmanship of a veteran. The result is both witty and wise—with an aftertaste of melancholy more credible than Hollywood's typical happy endings. While Allen deserves high honors for his work behind the camera, expect Cruz to be equally praised for her revelatory performance in front of it.

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