Film review - Vicky Christina Barcelona (12A)

Feb 13 2009 by Michael Green, Flintshire Chronicle

This film is being hailed as a return to form from Woody Allen, the veteran New York film-making genius who has been delighting and frustrating his discerning fans in equal measure since the late 60s.

That claim tends to overlook the fact that this is someone who has come up with the likes of Melinda and Melinda and Match Point during the past five years.

OK, so the other two parts of his "London trilogy"– Scoop and Cassandra’s Dream – were fairly inconsequential and Anything Else is probably his most irritating picture ever.

But critics seem to expect Allen to come up with an Annie Hall or a Manhattan every time and that is beyond anyone.

For this film, Allen takes his vision to Spain and follows the fortunes of two holidaying friends, whose lives are turned upside down by a chance encounter with exotic abstract artist, Javier Bardem.

The one thing that has remained utterly consistent about Allen’s films is his ability to attract unbelievable casts.

Apart from Bardem, he directs Penelope Cruz to arguably her best ever English language performance and he renews his rewarding artistic relationship Scarlett Johansson, who lights up the screen like an angel whenever she is in his hands.

The story is slight and the writer-director is not above using the Spanish scenery to enhance the natural beauty of his stars.

But this is an unbridled joy and one which is likely to cross over to non-Allen fans while keeping his long-term admirers content. STAR RATING:***