I must be one strange dude. I got lost between the two girls kissing each other inside a dark room and the three taking turn to kiss each other at the kitchen stove. Now, just how probable that scenario can be even if I was born an American or an European?
Largely shot in portrait mode with the bokeh background blurring out everything but the characters, visually the film put much emphasis on the actors and actresses with the scripts in such fluidity to match. I like some parts when the camera stays with the main character even when it is the supporting actor’s turn to speak. It is beautiful. It is beautiful if you can look beyond the lack of conclusiveness throughout the development of the story. Light, indeed. Perhaps that’s how the writer-director Woody Allen envisages it to be. Like the beautiful strokes of stories intertwined in the summer of Barcelona, there is love of eccentricity, committing and reliable love, carefree kind of love, and unfulfilled love. There is a certain degree of lightheartedness and a certain degree of sadness. While the story is left unresolved, the incomplete love between the two artists played by Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz is simply intense. Penélope is simply striking, in this movie. She deserves an Oscar nomination, I agree.
Scarlett Johansson’s acting as Cristina is charming and I do enjoy watching Rebecca Hall playing the role of Vicky. Cynthia and I both agree that Javier Bardem is not necessary the most handsome Spanish guy on Earth (to be able to charm both Scarlett and Rebecca with Penélope as the ex-wife … hmmm). However Javier does come with an incredible credential in his acting career and he acts well in this film.
The Spanish actor and actress Penélope and Javier are the real gems of the film. Since Cynthia and I are currently learning Spanish, we are happy to be able to pick up a few words within the Spanish dialogues.
Lovely scripts, lovely eye candies. The question is, can you look beyond this plot of art with the unresolved, rather unrealistic storyline?