Lawrence Casiraya
INQUIRER.net

I seem have a natural attraction for Woody Allen movies. Maybe because they reaffirm my faith in the one ingredient I deem important in a movie: the story.

“Vicky Cristina Barcelona” is a typical Woody Allen film, meaning there’s always a cast of characters and it ultimately explores human relationships.

This time it’s a love triangle–Barcelona is a metaphor, of course. Meaning there should be sex involved and that Scarlett Johannson is somehow part of it.

She is Woody Allen’s muse at present (Match Point, Scoop) but to me Rebecca Allen (as Vicky) played her role better and with much more depth.

Which is not to deny Ms. Johannson’s irrepressible qualities; she only needs to purse her pouty lips. It was even more fun to watch Penelope Cruz as the fiery and muy caliente ex-wife to Javier Bardem.

Overall, the story becomes interesting and amusing enough without becoming frivolous.

The movie won Best Picture award (for comedy) at the recent Golden Globes. To me, Mr. Allen redeems himself with better storytelling this time than Cassandra’s Dream, his most recent work I saw.

After which I still keep my faith in the power of film to tell a simple story without the razzle dazzle typical of so-called Hollywood blockbusters.

Watch the film’s trailer here:

Vicky Cristina Barcelona Movie Trailer Review - Awesome video clips here