Movie Review: Vicky Cristina Barcelona

This weekend, I decided to go out and actually see a movie, and no I didn't go see Tropic Thunder or The Dark Knight Returns. No, I went to see Woody Allen's new flick, Vicky Cristina Barcelona. And wonders never cease, I not only thoroughly enjoyed it, I really really want to go to Barcelona now.

The movie is about two women in their early twenties, Vicky and Cristina, who spent two months in Barcelona. Vicky is working on her thesis on Catalan culture while Cristina is a free spirit who is just along for the ride. Lucky for Vicky she has a relative who lives in a huge gorgeous apartment with her husband (this place even has a small, outdoor, pool!). Vicky is practical, serious and engaged to Doug, who has a job that lets him work from Europe whenever he wants. Cristina, the free spirit, hops from relationship to relationship, and has no clear career path, she just wants to do something artistic. She's written, directed and starred in a 12 minute movie about love. Both women's lives change when they meet Juan Antonio played by the delicious Javier Bardem who has ditched the awful Prince Valient hairdo the Coen brother's forced him to wear in No Country For Old Men. I don't want to spoil the movie but Penelope Cruz plays Juan Antonio's crazy ex-wife. And can I say I never realized just how beautiful she was until this movie?

What did I like about this movie? Well for one thing, Woody Allen wasn't in it, and 2) Woody Allen wasn't in it. I don't know about other people, but I was getting tired of his existential shtick, and the fact that all of his leading ladies were younger than me. Seriously, Helena Bonham Carter and Mia Sorvino from Mighty Aphrodite? Younger than me, and the Woodman? Old enough to be my grandfather (well okay my father, but you know what I mean.). This movie was about making choices, and whether or not one should take the risk on something unfamiliar and scary, or stick with the safe. Which is not exactly a new idea with Woody but it came across as charming in this movie.

I'm still not sure if Scarlett Johanssen can act or if she just looks pretty, but Rebecca Hall (the daughter of English director Sir Peter Hall) can and well. Even Penelope Cruz impressed me enough that I might have to take Volver out of the library and some of her other Spanish language films.

And as I said, I'm dying to go to Barcelona. Perhaps in March?

Weekend Update

God it was hot this weekend! After days of cool weather, the heat came back with a vengeance Saturday and Sunday. And the humidity was not doing my hair any favors. We also had scattered thundershowers, which managed not to cool off anything.

Saturday, after some much needed maintenance (roots, pedicure, legs shaved), I headed out to Brooklyn to this really tiny bar called Barbes, to see the Wingdale Community Singers play along with Liz Maverick, Megan Frampton, Stacey Agdern and my friend Lucy. As always, our conversation turned to men. I wondered why they hadn't come up with the technology where by women could have some sort of device that would automatically point out all the single men in a bar. Not only that, but would then run a background check, as well as a credit report, so you know whether or not to bother.

Seriously, if someone could come up with this, it would make a fortune. Or maybe I've just been watching too many episodes of MI-5. We all agreed however, that we've completely given up on the notion of Internet dating. I know that some people think of it as the equivalent of shopping on line, but JCrew and Victoria's Secret don't have quite as many choices as the average Internet Dating site, and I seriously don't have the time to spend trolling through all the profiles trying to find someone.

We also discussed the news that in London, tailors are now allowed to call suits bespoke that are actually ready to wear, totally removing the cachet of having a bespoke suit. Bespoke basically means that the suit was tailored specifically for the client. Its like the male version of couture. Can you imagine the havoc in Paris, if the fashion houses were able to call the pret a porter couture? No one would spend the $10,000 to $100,000 for a dress, if you could buy one for $3,000 and have it called couture. All those little old seamstresses would be going blind for nothing.

We found this other really groovy bar called Dram Shop literally like a block away that had a great whiskey and beer list, and yummy french fries. Liz took some great photos which eventually I hope to post. It was actually an early night for a change, I managed to get back to the city by midnight.

Sunday, I went to see Get Smart with ex-sweetie pie. I have to say that I really enjoyed this movie probably because I had such low expectations. The previews didn't look all that funny which is unusual. Generally, the previews give away all the good jokes. Steve Carell was excellent as Maxwell Smart. They allowed him to preserve what was great about Don Adams interpretation but they made him a little smarter, and a little more effective as an agent. They even gave him a bit of a back story which I don't remember in the series. Of course, like in the series, Anne Hathaway as 99 was smarter and more together. And she could seriously kick some butt in this movie. The ex also really liked the movie although we disagreed on whether or not there should be a sequel.

Afterwards, we had dinner at Ruby Tuesday, which is one of the many chain restaurants littering Times Square (seriously they couldn't have opened a PF Chang's?), but its one of the better ones. I had the salad bar and a crab cake, while the ex indulged his taste for red meat. We shared the chocolate cake and then returned to the fray in Times Square. Spain beat Germany in the Eurocup or whatever it was, and it was also the Gay Pride parade yesterday so it was packed. I dragged the ex into Ann Taylor Loft because apparently I labor under the delusion that I don't have enough shoes or clothes. I ended up buying a pair of gold braided thongs that looked really groovy. Of course, now I have to buy outfits that go with the shoes.

The ex and I trolled through Virgin Mega-store before finally saying good-bye at the subway station. I'm very glad that we've managed to stay friends since our break-up. I've known him for 15 years now, and I can't imagine not having him in my life as a friend.

Stay cool,

EKM