Movie: Vicky Cristina Barcelona
This is my second favorite movie of last year’s Oscar race. This really should have taken the place of one of the other Best Picture contenders.
It’s beautifully shot. If the 1992 Summer Olympics didn’t make you want to visit Barcelona, this movie will. It’s gorgeous and Woody Allen makes it into a fitting backdrop for this story.
The characters and the actors playing them are imminently watchable. Personally, I’ve never understood the contemporary fascination with Scarlett Johansson, but given her high reputation, it’s impressive to note that she is the least magnetic presence in most scenes—at least in my opinion. (Still, I would award the Best Supporting Actress Oscar to Marisa Tomei over actual winner Penelope Cruz.)
The pacing is also wonderfully executed. I especially appreciated that I did not predict one plot turn in the entire movie. When is the last time you could say that?
Given that, I’m not even going to approach the plot here. I’d recommend experiencing the process yourself.