Vicky Cristina Barcelona

There’s little doubt that Vicky Cristina Barcelona marks another step on the road back to relevance for filmmaker Woody Allen, as the movie, though no great shakes in terms of plot or character development, boasts several engaging performances and dialogue that’s as effortlessly authentic as one might’ve anticipated. The thin and admittedly far-from-fresh storyline, which follows American friends Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) as they embark on a Spanish vacation and subsequently fall for a charismatic painter (Javier Bardem’s Juan Antonio), essentially serves as a springboard for a series of low-key, conversation-driven sequences, with the film’s comfortable rhythm only heightened by the cast’s uniformly strong work. (Bardem’s expectedly compelling turn is undoubtedly matched by relative newcomer Hall.) The movie’s momentum does take a hit following Penelope Cruz’s arrival at around the one-hour mark, however, as the actress, playing Juan Antonio’s volatile ex-wife, offers up a fiery performance that sort of feels at odds with the exceedingly laid-back atmosphere. Still, this is surely a minor complaint for a breezy effort that generally feels like classic Allen – with the predictably melancholy conclusion certainly cementing this vibe.

*** out of ****