The Fisher King (1991)

This is the one for which Robin Williams should have received an Oscar; for as Parry, the victim of a senseless tragedy, he is nothing short of brilliant in "The Fisher King," directed by Terry Gilliam and co-starring Jeff Bridges (who also gives an Oscar-worthy performance here). Gilliam has created the perfect mood and atmosphere to tell the story of successful radio talk-show host Jack Lucas (Bridges), and the homeless and mentally unhinged Parry, whose lives intersect in the wake of an act of unconscionable violence that leaves them both barely clinging to the memory of a reality that no longer exists for either of them. With this movie, Gilliam has deftly crafted a study of the symbiotic existence of mankind and the impact of human nature upon the space we all must share in a world growing smaller day by day. Through Jack's eyes, Gilliam examines the nature of cause and effect, and the results thereof, and Jack's story ultimately becomes Parry's story, and aptly illustrates how the needs of one become the necessity of another, and what it means to finally be able to look beyond ourselves and delve beneath those layers of contemporary frivolity we all manage to build, which in the end are nothing more than pretentious insulations that keep us from the things in life that really matter. Even as Jack's own act of irresponsibility comes back to haunt him and make him question his own values to the very core of his being, Parry receives the brunt of it all from the other end of the spectrum, with consequences even more dire, though for both the result of their shared circumstance is life-altering. Williams gives a masterful performance here that illuminates so well how thin the line between comedy and drama really is. He brings the complex, tragic figure of Parry to the screen flawlessly, with attitude, expression and even body language that is impeccable, and all without a single false moment to be found anywhere throughout (by comparison, even as good as he was in "Good Will Hunting," for which he received the B.S.A. Oscar, under close scrutiny you'll find a moment or two there that do not ring true). This is quite simply the best work he's ever done, before or since, and he's given the cinematic world an unforgettable character that will undoubtedly make a lasting impression on anyone who sees this film. And, though Williams grabs the lion's share of the spotlight here, he by no means overshadows Jeff Bridges, who has also created a memorable character in Jack. He brings a depth to this role through which he readily displays the many different levels upon which Jack works and lives, from the egotistical, self-centered to the compassionate; it's like watching a struggle for domination going on within him, and waiting to find out which side will ultimately emerge triumphant. It's an exemplary performance, and it's a gross miscarriage of justice that Bridges didn't at least receive a nomination for Best Actor for this one. Proving, however, that justice does, at times, get it's due, Mercedes Ruehl was awarded the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her personable portrayal of Anne, the fulcrum upon which Jack and Parry dramatically balance their tender and tentative psyches. Like Bridges and Williams, she gives a performance here that is totally credible, and she's a delight to watch. One of the strengths of this movie, in fact, is the incredible performances; and it's so gratifying to see such a good story brought to life and made so real through artistic endeavor. In a supporting role, Michael Jeter demands to be singled out for his part as the homeless Cabaret Singer, and also Amanda Plummer, as the hapless and endearing Lydia, both of whom are just additional parts of the aggregate that make this such a great movie. With "The Fisher King," Gilliam has given us a wonderfully textured morality tale, both entertaining and engaging and rich with metaphor and substance that will endure the test of time, because it is, in the end, a story for the ages. This is definitely one you do not want to let pass you by.

The Fisher King is a representational movie. It makes use of Arthurian legend, and parallels the legend of the Fisher King with the lives of the two main protagonists Parry (Robin Williams) and Jack (Jeff Bridges). Symbolism and metaphorical techniques are utilisied extensively throughout the film, which makes it an extremely visual experience to watch. However, the symbolism extends beyond the visual plane, to a very psychological one. For example, Parry's creation of a fantastical world full of 'little fat people' and the 'Red Knight', is very much representative of his own mental condition; the fantasy world, minus the Red Knight, represents Parry's acceptance/ignorance of his mental trauma. At the same time the Red Knight is symbolic of the pain and suffering as caused by the trauma itself.

Whenever Parry shows glimpes of sanity (lucid speech, dating, feeling love again, etc.), the Red Knight always appears in his life. While the Red Knight is at bay Parry is not catatonic or overwrought by his trauma. To overcome/accept the trauma of seeing his wife murdered before his eyes, ultimately Parry has to confront the Red Knight and vanguish him. However, he lacks the insight and strength to do this on his own. Enter Jack who ultimately feels responsible for Parry's condition! Jack is the equivalent of the fool or simpleton from the story of the Fisher King. Jack's intent is one of redemption, while he is absorbed into Parry's world. Eventually Jack begins to understand Parry's need for the Holy Grail, which represents Acceptance of Loss. If Parry is able to possess the Holy Grail, then he shall be able to vanguish Insanity as represented by the Red Knight.

While there are elements of fantasy and Arthurian legend woven into this story, there is also a theme of Christianity. Originally Jack is driven by a need to regain the former glory of his life when he was a successful talkback radio host. He wants that life back and believes that by helping Parry, he will overcome his guilt, and thus be able to resume his former life. Jack feels a false resolution in his life when he regains his former life. However, ultimately, when Jack agrees to undertake the quest for the Holy Grail, only then do his motives become self-less. He helps Parry because he wants to, not because he needs to drive away his own guilt this is very much part of the Christian Doctrine.

On the whole, The Fisher King is an intricate weaving of comedy, drama and tragedy. The direction by Gilliam is faultless, his attention to detail evident especially in the Chinese Restaurant scene, where he borrows from Chinese film-making techniques, using the vertical black bar wipe technique.

This is the type of movie which, on a superficial level, is only somewhat satisfying. However, it is on the psychological level where its real impact is felt tragic, hopeful and uplifting. It is not the type of movie to watch if you are expecting to be entertained!

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I have a passionate love for the Arthurian legends. To paraphrase Robertson Davies, however, these tales have a poor history of being adapted to stage or screen. "Camelot", "Excalibur", "First Knight", "Prince Valiant" -if you really love the tales, you know just how short these films fall.

Then there is The Fisher King.

No, you won't find King Arthur here. You won't find Camelot or Guenivere or the Questing Beast. What you WILL find is the essence of the Grail story. Parry (Robin Williams) is Percival the Fool as well as The Fisher King himself; Jack (Jeff Bridges) is a fallen king-of-radio. Both are wounded and in a related manner. Neither faces his problems head on. Each needs another to pave the way to forgiveness, acceptance, and redemption. The ultimate physical object that leads to this may be a swimming trophy, but it is also the Holy Grail itself. Why? Because it truly is, if you only believe.

Along the way you meet the not-so-in-distress damsels (Mercedes Ruehl won an Oscar for best supporting actress; Amanda Plummer, who deserved one as well), the company of knights-errant (the homeless of New York City), an evil Red Knight, two even more evil local toughs, and the false-prophets from the land of television. Each of these is a person, or a type, from our own world. They also happen to fit the tales of the Holy Grail rather well. Forced comparisons? I leave that to the individual viewer to decide, but I found the characterizations marvelous. This is not a film about Real Life, but it is a film about something truer, something closer to the soul.

This is a film that deserves multiple veiwings. If nothing else you are going to want to see the scene in Grand Central Station more than once (if you know the movie, you know what I'm talking about; if not, you are in for a beautiful treat). This is a film that teeters between rampant silliness and powerful truths. Somehow it never feels schmaltzy, forced, or preachy.

Watch this film.

Let the little man dance!

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This is one of my favorite films. For the most part it is solid but does take some thought and knowledge about how people deal with trauma. Although it falters at times and has a few artistic distractions it does teach several good lessons. To understand the meaning of the title one must know the story of the Fisher King. There are many variations of the legend and one very simplistic version is sort of given in the film and will not be repeated here. The Legend of the Fisher King deals with a man who was injured as a young man (again many variations of how) and suffered from these wounds throughout his life. His only respite was to be taken fishing. He eventually became the penultimate master of the Grail Castle. Every evening the Grail, Platen and spear would be brought out and those suffering would be healed. That is, all except for the Fisher King. The Fisher King could not be healed until someone asked him a specific question. The Fisher King did not need to know the answer to the question. As the years passed, nobody ever asked the question until one day, on his second visit to the Grail Castle, Percival, asked the question, "Whom does the Grail serve?" The Fisher king realized that the Grail did not serve to make him great but that it served those in need. He was humbled and his wounds healed. (He died several days later and Percival became the last master of the Grail Castle.) The film deals with this dilemma in Jack. Jack can not be healed until he understands "whom the Grail serves." Jack tries to help Parry so that Jack will be healed so Jack can get on with Jack's life. It is only at the end of the film that Jack does the first unselfish thing that he has ever done in his life. Jack is the only character that grows emotionally. Of course, this act has nothing to do with Parry's condition improving. Parry is not crazy and Parry is not demented. Parry was a high functioning person until he witnesses his wife's head taking a shotgun blast. Parry regresses into a fugue state and takes on an alternate identity. He takes on a character that will, in metaphor, deal with what he witnessed. What Parry lost was intimacy and in his psychological struggle to cope with that loss he is both chased by and chases the last image of intimacy he recalls. Any emotional closeness, even with Jack, triggers these flashbacks although the image is distorted through the metaphor of his fugue state and becomes the red knight/ (representing his wife's violent death.) Parry does not become psychotic until Jack replaces Parry's fantasized intimacy with real intimacy and gets him "the date". The distortion is shattered; the metaphor no longer replaces the reality of Parry's last memory of his wife because the intimacy is psychologically too close to what Parry had lost. His Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) flashback is no longer the Red knight but the reliving of the actual trauma. Parry's psyche is forced to regress further and he become catatonic. This is the mind's way of calling a time-out. With time he eventually returns to his previous fugue state and that is where the film leaves him. Although not for everyone and not always consistent, it is an excellent film if you are willing to pay attention and not get distracted by Hollywood smarm.

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I hadn't seen this film since it first came out on video. I remembered certain things about it: that I had enjoyed it, that the Holy Grail played prominently in it, and that Jeff Bridges was very good in it.

Those are all still true.

Jack Lucas (Bridges) is a radio "shock jock" who inadvertently causes a listener to go on a killing rampage. This affects him deeply and he quits the business, turns to alcohol, and moves in with Anne (Mercedes Ruehl), the owner of Video Spot!, a store which seems to carry as many porn titles as mainstream ones.

He is deeply depressed. One night, when he is about to end it, he gets attacked by thugs who mistake him for homeless. His life is saved by a group of homeless led by "Parry" (Robin Williams), a former history professor whose wife was killed in the aforementioned massacre. Parry has engulfed himself in the world of medieval knights (a "parry" is a type of sword thrust)--changing his name as well--and has received a mission from pixies to capture a trophy cup (which he believes is the Grail) located in a millionaire's castle-style home. Jack feels he must pay his penance by helping Parry retrieve the cup.

One thing that is holding Parry back is that he is continually besieged by the Red Knight (a hallucination that represents the trauma which with Parry is not yet ready to cope, that is, it only shows up whenever something reminds him of his past). Along the way, Parry falls in love with a publishing accountant and Jack and Anne do their best to get the ultra-shy couple together.

Terry Gilliam somehow brings this combination of Arthurian legend and modern New York together into a successful whole. Of course, the script by Richard LaGravanese is also first-rate. This is one of the most original films I have ever seen. Decisively top-rate entertainment.

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Heyy Babyy DVD (2007)

I guess I just can't go a week without a Bollywood fix. This time out, it's HEYY BABYY, which is India cinema's 2007 adaptation of Three Men and a Cradle. If you've already seen THREE MEN AND A CRADLE (or its American remake Three Men and a Baby), then this one doesn't really have much to offer, unless you're a fan of any of the three male leads. And the baby is cute, so there's that. But, then again, this film is 2 hours and 24 minutes long. There's that, too.

Three funloving Indians living abroad, in Australia. There's Tanmay, who dons a Teddy Bear costume in his theme park job. There's Ali, who is lazy and likes to gamble. Arush is manager of Sydney's most happening nightclub. All three are hardliving, irresponsible womanizers. They happen to share a comfy bachelor pad. And life is an ongoing party. Then a baby girl enters their lives, abandoned on their doorstop and with a brief note: "Take care of your daughter." Party's over.

Although HEYY BABYY co-stars Fardeen Khan and Ritesh Deshmukh, the big star here is Akshay Kumar, who was on some kind of a roll in 2007. Along with HEYY BABYY, Akshay made Namastey London DVD (wonderful!), BHOOL BHULAYAA, and WELCOME, all of which were box office hits. Of the four, though, HEYY BABYY may be the film I like least. Bollywood just can't stay away from the extremes. The first half of the film runs like an unpolished, runaway version of THREE MEN AND A BABY, replete with airborne poop-drenched diapers and the three guys flinging baby food at each other. This is also where the three main characters are at their most unlikable and immature. They gripe and moan and despair over the baby's incessant needs,and the audience is soon treated to three grown-up men admonishing kids to shut up and that they hate them. They get so fed up with their infant charge that they actually do something truly reprehensible. And I guess we're supposed to still like these blokes because they later repent and turn into good, responsible dads, right? But, just as life is good for the three dads and the baby, the mother enters into the picture. She wants her baby back, and before the film's intermission.

Minor SPOILERS coming up in the next paragraph.

The film's second half moves the spotlight away from the baby a bit, to focus more on Akshay Kumar's romance with Vidya Balan, who stiffly plays the baby's mother, Isha. You see, a year ago, Arush (Akshay) and Isha had a thing, before Isha caught him with another woman. Thing over. Today, Isha's still got her mad on and doesn't want Arush to have anything to do with the baby (by the way, it wasn't Isha who left the infant at his doorstep). But Arush and his roommates have discovered the joys of fatherhood and mean to have their child back. Plus, Arush is in love with Isha. In desperation, Arush strikes a contract with her. If Isha manages to find a fit husband in seven days, she keeps the baby. If not, then Arush takes the baby away.

But, worry not, Arush has concocted a plan, and it's a goofy one, too. He'll need the help of his friends and that of Isha's father, who's all guilt-ridden. This gives the film license to come up with even more slapstick as Arush, Tanmay, and Ali resort to disguises and crazy antics. One wonders though how Arush, in particular, was able to get away with his flimsy disguises without Isha recognizing her erstwhile lover. And since we're mentioning flaws, coincidence kicks the audience hard in the pants as both parents end up independently naming the baby "Angel." What are the odds?

SPOILERS end.

The three male leads, perhaps fearing being upstaged by a baby, mug their way thru scene after scene. They cry a lot, too, and frolic in a shower (and how weird was that?). Each tender, emotional scene is overwrung with corny over-acting, which ruins the moment. Not only is the story a bit too pat and predictable, it tends to devolve into a Three Stooges type of zaniness (plenty of slaps to the face for everyone). In his film commentary, Director Sajid Khan states that he intended this film to be enjoyed by kids, and I guess that would explain the crass and silly attempts at humor.

The film does have some stuff going for it, enough for me to give it two and a half stars. I've been dumping on the cast quite a bit, but they are occasionally pretty decent and funny. Akshay once again displays how capable he is at drawing out chuckles. And some of the aforementioned silly attempts at humor actually works. My favorite scene is probably when Fardeen Khan was driving the car ever so slowly, to the chagrin of his passengers, even as joggers, a somersaulter, and a guy on a wheelchair breezily pass the car. Then there's that late cameo by the biggest superstar in Bollywood. However, ultimately, I don't believe these positives are enough to redeem the movie.

Since this is Bollywood, there are musical numbers. But the songs end up being lackluster, although the closing credits do showcase some film bloopers and Akshay, Fardeen, and Ritesh doing a bit of the full monty. So there's that.

Lastly, this film demonstrates once again that poop in the face just never gets old. And, if the poop is disturbingly yellow, well, so much the better.

Before I bought this I couldnt work out from the other reviews what the balance of the movie was like. Was it one of the silly Bollywoods where the guys are just jerks or was it more the 'redeemed men' theme such as in the enjoyable 'Bachna Ae Hasseno'?

Well the guys arent quite as inept as I expected and they didnt dwell on their initial silliness or annoyance with the baby's intrusion in their lives too much at the beginning. Yes it was a bit of the silliness but it was tamed down a bit compared to other Bollywoods I've seen. The relationship between the lads is fairly convincing and warm.

For me Akshay Kumar can go either way. I enjoyed him in 'Namastay London' and 'Singh is Kingg' but really didn't like him in 'Garam Masala' for one. He is Ok in this and the other two men balanced a roughness he seemes to have at times.

The overwhelming bulk of the movie is their affection for the kid and how they felt changed and had bonded closely with it.

Then the movie took off in a romance direction of whether one of them could retrieve his relationship with the mother of the child and finally form a family.

Then there was the cameo by Shahrukh Khan. He looked like he'd wandered onto the set to visit a friend and someone threw him a suitable coat and said 'hey what about joining in a moment'. Naturally his presence added to the dance scene he'd wandered into.

The song he danced to is one of the main reasons I decided to buy the movie as I hadnt been sure of whether it was for me. The song 'Mast Kalander' is a very catchy song and I had high hopes for the music. Actually this was the best song in the movie for me. One or two other songs had a little something but a few of the others needed a bit of zip in them (including the opening theme song).

This movie isn't just a remake of 'Three Men and a Baby' and actually I think I like this one better.

Overall not to bad and I will hold onto it (this is often a test for me am I likely to revisit it sometime in the futureYes worth holding onto...)

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I really enjoy watching this movie. This movie is all about being a father and loving your children. This movie was very funny but also has some very serious matters in it. This Movie taught those three men to stop fooling around and stop hurting women. They learn to respect women and learn about being a father. Its a movie for all those dead beat dads that dont care about their children and treat women badly. I also enjoy watching akshay the best. He's hot.

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Watch the wedding scene very closely, and you will see a couple of 20 something western extras milling around in the background at various times. They are my son and a friend who were having a beer in Mumbai one night when a guy approached them and asked them if they were interested in being extras in a Bollywod movie. He gave them a card and told them where to show up at 8 the next morning. They thought it was some kind of scam, but they checked it out and it turned out to be true, so they went. That scene took a full day and they were paid $20 each.

They were great extras. They did mention that the female lead was a real b*tch and that the director was a tyrant. As for the rest of the film, I can't say!

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Akshay kumar is so funny not only in this film, but in so many others. Boman Irani brings out his comical side as well as his soft side. This is a heart welding movie based on family values, love, respect and keeping a family together. There are some scenes where everyone quarrels with one another, but at the end Vidyas character knows what's right and follows her heart and keeps her promises to bring back her family!!! It's auwsume!! A must see film.

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Cheech & Chong's: Animated Movie (2012)

Very funny mix of old and new jokes. Several skits make up this cartoon version of everything you know and love about Cheech & Chong. From the drugs, girls and celebrities, you will laugh at something and feel it fits well with the existing Cheech & Chong collection.

I'm glad there is something new out by these two hilarious nutjobs and figure I'm probably not alone there. They have a ton of fans, and all of them are going to find this cartoon pretty groovy!

I, like many others, have waited years for this to finally get released. However, I was expecting it would be the classic sketches the duo did on the CD's, but surprisingly it seems like it was re-recorded old material, but they left the really good bits out, or used sketches that where not their best material. For god sakes, it's 2013, quit trying to make movies that wont offend or can be watched by small teens. Most of this almost seemed PG rated, if dope was a family thing to watch.

We already have had the best sketch by Cheech and Chong in their first movie Up In Smoke. We got a slightly re-worked version in Hey Watch This, and of coarse their has always been the album recorded version. Yet half of it has been cut out and watered down for the cartoon version. Why? If shows like South Park or Drawn Together can push every boundary of what is seen in cartoons on TV, then why not just go all the way for a straight to home video release? It really felt like so much of the material on this cartoon movie was holding back, and not reaching the potential it could have had.

It is good to HEAR Cheech & Chong after all these years, but this cartoon movie that has taken so long to get released just did not come anywhere near as funny as I expected it to be. Heck, it's probably only one step up on Corsican Brothers, so I'd rather watch just about any other C&C video over this.

It's not to say it's all bad, it had a few good moments. But some things like Ralph & Herby work much better as two dudes on stage, rather than actually being dog characters. Then their a few background things that just make you wonder why they bothered, and just about every sketch worked better on the albums or movies then it did as a visual cartoon.

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If you're lighting up right now, then this one is for you. If not, you won't get the jokes and anyway what are you doing watchin' a Cheech & Chong movie in the first place?

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Cheech and Chong animated, I thought they all ready are. This is a great animation, with great voices. A first I hope of many. Cheech and Chong doing ninety nine point nine, percent of the voices, is a GREAT BONUS! A truely talented duet, that we, as United State Citizens, should be very proud and celebrated. These two can never be replaced by anyone, on earth, ever again. They make me Proud to be a U. S. citizen, and proud of the funniest two people on Earth. Thank you GOD, for Cheech and Chong. May they live long and healthy lives. We will never see Comedians, and Greatness, like these two ever again. Sincerely, Jon Berry Linder, Photographic Artist.

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These guys really crack me up. I love this movie. It really doesn't matter if the animation isn't up to Pixar standards since it's really all about the comedy!

I love these guys so much that if either of them were to run for congress, I'd vote for them in a heartbeat over 98% of the people that are currently congressmen! When it comes to everyone's (well, the more intelligent portion of our population) favorite recreational herb, they make more sense than most of our nation's so-called leaders!

I recommend that everyone purchases this just to support the legendary comedy duo even if for no other reason. If you get a few laughs, and you will, then count them as the icing on the cake.

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Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

In "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," Woody Allen begs to contradict another pundit of his age, Mick Jagger. Woody demonstrates in his latest movie that you can't EVER get what you want, and you also can't get what you need. He demonstrates this in the story of how Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson), two lovely young Americans staying in Barcelona for a few months, react to the romantic overtures of the dashing, primally sexy artist Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem). Vicky--a master's candidate in "Catalan identity," although she is not Catalan and barely speaks Catalan or even Spanish--finds that sex with Juan Antonio shakes up her previously solid feelings for her dullish American fiance, Doug (Chris Messina). Cristina--a dilettantish photographer/filmmaker who is defined by the fact that she only knows what she DOESN'T want in a relationship with a man--finds greater satisfaction with Juan Antonio, at least until Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz), Juan Antonio's volatile, insanely jealous ex-wife, shows up.

Some critics have opined that "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" is a hackneyed blast at naive Americans left at sea by European sexual sophistication. However, I think it's more a delineation of Woody's basic belief that happiness in love is transitory at best. How can you possibly hold up Juan Antonio and Maria Elena--who are constantly at each other's throats, to the point that Maria Elena brandishes knives and guns--as an example of sexual sophistication? They can't live with each other, they can't live without each other, but she may end up killing him, herself, and a few innocent bystanders. As enacted in a scintillating performance by Cruz, Maria Elena embodies the eternal irrationality of love, a blind craziness that--at least in Woody's view--stamps an irrevocable expiration date on even the tenderest, most ardent love.

Not quite a comedy but certainly not a tragedy, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" is a rueful commentary on the constant dissatisfactions of love and life, made all the more bittersweet by the heartbreakingly beautiful scenes of Barcelona and Catalunya wrapped in golden light by photographer Javier Aguirresarobe. The film offers us multiple pleasures--not least the excellent performances--yet, in the end, it feels slight. There are too many of Woody's familiar tropes for us to take the film at face value, especially the overly familiar characters; personally, I'm tired of the gorgeous, nubile young "Woody women" who are drawn vaguely toward a career in the arts yet are completely confused about everything except their need for hot sex. And, yes, Woody, we got the point decades ago that you consider life and the Universe meaningless; why do you always have to have one character in every movie (in this case, Juan Antonio) declare that belief baldly? "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" is worth seeing, but it falls short of being one of Woody's masterpieces.

On first hearing about this new Woody Allen film Vicky Cristina Barcelona, marked up as a comedy and listed as Woody Allen return to form, I was certain to see this on release date in the UK. But life once again had me side tracked and I've only managed to get around to it now. Even though I've heard good/bad opinions from friends it was still a film I was always going to view for myself; so rented this film to draw my own conclusion.

The whole film is interwoven and shaped so that different storylines are voiced together by a narrator who fills us; the viewer; with a bigger picture of what happening at all times. Vicky Cristina Barcelona, three characters are placed in the title, starting with two americans who have different attitudes to life and love. Victoria (Rebecca Hall) plays it straight laced; a no nonsense attitude; questioning everything; her sensible cerebral life is her. Currently working on a Master's degree in Catalan Culture she leaves a well-off fiance behind in New York and travels to Barcelona with Cristina to stay with friends for the summer. Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) free spirit; sexually adventurous; committed only to herself; knowing what she doesn't want in life rather than what she does. Cristina's art is photography. The third character Barcelona with amazing architecture, music, cuisine, a beautiful enriched festively soak up the sun atmospheric city.

Living in Barcelona; Juan Antonio Gonzalo (Javier Bardem) plays the moody, seductive Picasso-ish artist who in turn sets out to seduce both girls alone or even both at the same time, a distraction part time, using what he needs to remain creative. Juan might even be looking for a re-placement of losted love as he clearly has not gotten over Maria Elena (Penélope Cruz) the passionate muse and fiery ex-wife who returns when mood suits.

Before long Victoria begins to question her own life; could she live on the other side like Cristina; Carefree. While Cristina questions commitment to any life with either one or two people in it. As for the artist and his ex-wife fire and passion holds the bond but realistically a third party is needed for them to remain harmonic. Could happiness be elusive?

One thing I did notice from the off: Woody Allen had chosen not to give himself an acting role but British actress Rebecca Hall; (Vicky) who does a great american accent for her part, seemed to be playing Woody's part in this film, the mannerisms are more than recognizable here. Other film trademarks are visible like encounters in the street also Cristina's artistic bent, like Annie Hall's so long ago, should be for photography. Also the fact Vicky and Cristina speak in that distinctive indulgent conversational babble which worked quiet well from both actress.

But there is no doubt the Spanish players have it; presence and forthright energy, Javier Bardem as the artist; alpha male; Penélope Cruz clearly stealing the show; everything she does and says seems to mean more, count for more, she certainly walks off with the film and an Oscar.

Summing up: What I loved mostly was the beauty of Barcelona on film, the photography was marvelous. Things I could relate too in this; Victoria taking in the local music played, this is certainly something I'd do; seek out and find wonderful acoustic guitar outside a Café or Bar. It deals quiet nicely with modern day relationships; in tune with our times this film is PG rated; which would not have been the case maybe ten years ago; dealing with sexual topic's on a PG shows life; moving forward. Overall perfectly watchable; evening in; glass of wine. Three and a half stars I'd give this; I wouldn't put this down as a return to form for Allen; comically speaking, but it's more than a likable film to watch; worth seeing.

Andrea Bowhill

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VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA is a film about youth, about self-discovery, and about the anything goes freedom and spontaneity that Americans feel (or try to feel) when far from their own homeland and therefore liberated from their own cultures notions about love and life. Abroad one escapes the tyranny of ingrained convention and habits of mind and one gives oneself permission to experience another version of self and life in another land, or such is the promise of travel.

The problem with Vicky and Cristina (and perhaps with this film) is that Barcelona does not really liberate either of them from anything. Both seem too self-conscious and/or too self-occupied to step outside themselves and what they know. Both have a comfort level with themselves and each other that is never breeched. And so although Barcelona promises and delivers a certain amount of adventure, it does not really deliver either girl from themselves. During their stay, they are exposed to a passionate Spanish culture and introduced to a fiery tempered Spaniard but ultimately they both make the same kinds of choices that they made back home. Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) has always been an impulsive free spirit who starts things, loses interest, and does not finish them. It does not matter what country she is in, she is the same, and so the Spanish trip ultimately changes nothing for her. Vicky (Rebecca Hall) has always been conservative in matters of life and love. Although she is attracted to others that feel things and act on those feelings (like her friend Cristina) Vicky does not altogether trust emotions and is afraid to have them and, therefore, is never certain what she feels or if she feels anything at all. Vicky is very much like a classic Henry James male and she is driven by the same fear that drives James' male characters which is a fear that they are missing out on life. Although engaged before she embarks on her Spanish holiday, and apparently immune from the advances of strangers, she, nonetheless, remains fearful that she is missing out on something. Its really only when her friend enjoys a spontaneous summer with the painter Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem) and his former lover Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz) that she wishes that she too could live so passionately, so recklessly. The fact that she holds everything in is what makes her so alluring to the passion-drunk Juan Antonio. But she is who she is, neither Spain nor Juan Antonio have the power to changer her.

And so there is something sad about this trip (and this film). Woody Allen is one of the few directors who gives us genuinely interesting characters and stories and that should be applauded. In this film the two main characters, Vicky and Cristina, are ultimately incapable of being anything but who they are and who they are is Vicky and Cristina. Whether Woody thinks that their inability to live or think outside of their own comfort zone is an affliction that is peculiarly American is not exactly clear, but likely. Marie Elena's view of the Americans is that they are too self-involved to really live. Of course Maria Elena who does allow herself to live also opens herself up to suffering. I'm guessing that with Vicky Cristina Barcelona Woody is perhaps analyzing the American psyche (which is what he does best) and that what he finds is a psyche that is firmly rooted in and addicted to self and that resists any kind of self-surrender. This seems to be the sober reflection of an artist who has seen and contemplated America and Americans for many years.

Despite the location this is a very sober film and, despite a few well-placed laughs, also a very somber one.

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In a way, Woody Allen is every bit the escapist a filmmaker as are the directors who give us CGI dinosaurs and galactic space battles. In what world other than Woody's do Bohemian painters, sculptors, writers, photographers and poets live in handsome houses, drink fine wines, drive luxury cars, and buy expensive antiques? Of course it's not that no great artists are so successful in the real world, but in Woody's movies everyone is. And none of the other characters blink, or remark what an unusual situation we have here. (For a more realistic vision of how a relatively obscure artist lives [a poet this time] see The Hours.) Woody's people may still reside in the Village mentally, but materialistically their tastes are more Park Avenue, Rome and Paris, just like their creator.

Woody wants to eat his cake and have it too. His films always include boring characters (or more precisely, attractive, young and insecure females married or engaged to boring male characters) who work in the stuffy corporate world. The implication from Allen is always that these are the dull people in life, that the Bohemians are the romantics with imagination and fire and passion. Yet the Bohemians never pay the price by living as Bohemians do. Their lifestyles and the incomes required to support them are those of the bean-counters that Woody seems to disdain. Only their sexual appetites seem more acute, their mores looser. Even though he's now 73, I can still feel Woody's adolescent insecurities, which he's never seemed to get over, and I'm not being puritanical here: I don't just mean the preverted insecurities...

Which brings me to Vicky Cristina Barcelona. This film is reminiscent of Manhattan, with a touch of Annie Hall, Match Point, Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy, Hannah and her Sisters, Mighty Aphrodite, and a dozen other films thrown in: young Ivy League-ish females of conflicting temperaments and values and have "existential" crises in the middle of the film; said crises are solved by rotating or experimenting with sex partners. Or maybe the rotating of the sex partners *caused* the crises--we're so confused. But we do a lot of hand-wringing in the second act, always over fine wines and killer views, or inside million-dollar apartments somehow owned by the aforementioned Bohemian artists. In the end, there's a change once again of heart and we basically wind up at square one, where we started with these people. After years of being accused of making the same basic idea over and over, Woody has bought a Fodor's guidebook and set some of his more recent remakes in Europe.

At least it's all great fun. Throughout VCB I felt Woody wasn't taking this too seriously: this *isn't,* thank heavens, Interiors. It's almost as though Woody's become a self-aware manqué of himself lately. I mean, can we really expect anything new and eye-opening in the 30th film about young neurotic females on a journey that involves partner-swapping and clever allusions to the art world any more than we can expect anything new from Star Wars VII: Revenge of the Droid Clones, whenever George Lucas decides to make it? By now attending Woody Allen films, like attending Lucas' films, has become ritual to the fans.

Rebecca Hall plays the Diane Keaton part. Scarlett Johansson plays the Mia Farrow, or Mariel Hemingway, or whoever, part. It's well-written, within strict limits. Woody has a great ear for how people, at least people of a particular circle, talk, and he lets them talk, which is refreshing in an era where so much film "dialogue" consists of the "f" word or sarcastic one-liners and immature sex jokes. At he same time, name me, jokes aside, a really great, memorable line from any WA film. Most of it is throwaway, and you could cut and paste a rant from Dianne Wiest's mouth from Hannah And Her Sisters into one of the characters here. But at least Allen's gotten over his other big insecurity, which is filling his scripts with allusions to writers, philosophers, composers and other highbrows to show you how literate he is.* (Yes, I know he makes fun of people like this--Diane Keaton in Manhattan--but he also fills his "Woody" character with enough knowledge from Everyman's Library to keep the writers on Jeopardy busy for months.) The film is gorgeously shot, well-acted (especially by the women) and engaging. But in the end, it feels hollow, partly because we've been there before, partly because he's not even *riffing* on himself anymore. No one and nothing changes at the end of VCB. Without giving away spoilers, I'll just say no one seems to come to any realizations, which is why I put quotes around the word existential. They just have problems that last for two hours, conveniently. Fade out with some plucky music and those Windsor-font credits.

Not a bad film, but nothing to write home (or send postcards) about either. Also, as a few others have pointed out, the narrator was unnecessary, and the film would have been a bit better if we could have reached for ourselves some of the conclusions we are spoon-fed.

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* Of course I wrote this review before Midnight in Paris.

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Woody Allen has produced an excellent film for thinking adults in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. I say this because he is able to capture much of the paradox of relationships as two young women in their 20s begin to explore what they want from life and from their relationships.

The character of Vicky, played wonderfully by Rebecca Hall, is a young woman who plays it safe most of the time. However a short and unexpected fling with artist Juan Antonio, played by Javier Bardem, opens up emotional doors for her that she can't close with her rational mind. Vicky and her good friend Cristina are staying at the home of Vicki's family friends, where Vicky accidentally sees the wife in the embrace of her Spanish lover. Patricia Clarkson plays the middle aged woman who tries to explain to Vicky why she has taken a lover and then begins to take the role of advisor to Vicky so that Vicky doesn't make the same mistake of marriage for stability rather than passion.

Cristina on the other hand moves in with the artist and his mentally unstable wife, Maria Elena, played by Penelope Cruz. Despite all the freedom, drama and sex, in the end Cristina sadly learns that they are a highly dependent couple, passionate about each other, but so unstable that they can not maintain a solid relationships.

In the end we might expect Vicky to learn from her experiences with Juan Antonio and drop her wealthy privileged boyfriend, Doug. Or we might expect Cristina to learn some lessons about dependency and stability from living in a 3-way relationship with Juan Antonio and Maria Elena. But this is a Woody Allen film and behind the wry humor Woody is a wise philosopher. For in the end we can only learn from our own mistakes and unfortunately we often have to make the same mistakes repeatedly before our foolish hearts get a clue.

This is excellent film making. The film is warm and sunny and often shot outdoors, exploring the Catalan landscape. The architecture of Gaudi pops up here and there in scenes in Parc Guell or Sagrada Familia.

All the actors were in top form with Rebecca Hall emerging to the top with a subtle performance of a naive and insecure young woman playing the role of a determined and stable woman. Scarlett Johansson is excellent as the risk taking young woman who gradually understands that she is the third party to a highly dynamic mutually dependent relationship which really holds no future for her. Javier Bardem is very good as an intelligent, intuitive, man who finds he can't live in peace with his soul mate. Penelope Cruz is superb as a volatile dramatic creative woman who struggles against her own dependency needs. Last of all, Patricia Clarkson is excellent as the older woman who has been there and done that and now wishes that others would not make the same mistakes.

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