Culling the best tips from today’s comments, J UK‘s link to David Denby’s review in The New Yorker warrants a bump to the main page:
Woody Allen’s “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” has a natural, flowing vitality to it, a sun-drenched splendor that never falters.
It’s all uphill from there, as Denby describes the principles in terms that are practically polymorphously perverse. Javier Bardem is “almost criminally attractive‚Äîsoft-spoken and erudite, decent in his way but relentless, a Don Juan brought back to life.” Rebecca Hall “can look radiant one minute and neurotic, tense, and gloomy the next, as if she were channeling Allen‚Äôs stumbling anxieties.” Scarlett Johansson is “at a stage in which her sensuality is more developed than anything else in her personality, but that configuration works for her.” As Sasha mentioned earlier today, the highest praise — and hottest potential awards buzz — is being reserved for Penelope Cruz as Maria Elena: “highly intelligent and talented but so tempestuous that she creates havoc wherever she goes. (She‚Äôs like a Frida Kahlo without the discipline to work.)”
Allen means for us to understand that a life of passion alone can lead to craziness. Maria Elena is an enactor of her own unhappiness; she makes accusations, steps across sexual boundaries, pulls out knives and guns. Cruz has never done anything like this: with her downturned mouth and wild black hair, she looks witchy and unbeautiful.
Sorry to inflict some of that unbeautiful witchiness on you guys in the photo above. Denby admires the screenplay, cinematography and thematic complexity too, so we can look forward to some substance with the “sun-drenched splendor.”¬† Is it possible we only have to wait 10 days for Vicki Christina Barcelona? How come that suddenly feels too long to bear?
(one-sheet after the cut)
Note to Oliver Stone: If you want to feature half-faces on your one-sheet, this is how it’s done.
Scarlett Johansson offers a 3Some…?
http://www.defamer.com.au/2008/08/scarlett_johanssons_website_offers_one_free_threesome_with_the_starlet_while_supplies_last-2.html
Only two days left to VC Barcelona to be on the cinemas and the buzz is getting bigger and bigger and bigger….
Will Bardem be nominated again as BS Actor?
Read an awesome review on MSNBC.com
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26159391/
“Send the word to the legions of frustrated fans: “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” is a glorious return to form. Funny, intelligent, provocative and heartfelt, the film will remind moviegoers why they ever loved Woody Allen. It’s too bad that Whit Stillman already took “Barcelona” as a title, because this film bookends nicely with one of Allen’s masterpieces, “Manhattan.”
“A writer recently posited that critics always seem quick to dub each new R.E.M. album and Woody Allen movie as the one that their longtime fans have eagerly awaited. I can’t speak for the new R.E.M., but I’m confident in saying that “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” is Allen’s most satisfying film in nearly 20 years.”
AWESOME!
Can’t wait for the film. Though, I’m not so sure I like this one-sheet. It seems very dated to me. Like late 80s, early 90s. Not too much unlike the HANNAH AND HER SISTERS poster itself (except with smaller font). And well, at least HAHS had Hannah AND her sisters. Where the hell is Vicky? Christina and Barcelona are accounted for, but poor Rebecca Hall doesn’t even get the half-face treatment.
Saw a screening. It is one of Allen’s more enjoyable movies, but if it all took place in New York, it would be rather predictable. But the acting and the locations make the movie fresh and rather funny. It gets into the usual rut in an Allen movie about halfway through where everyone is so self-involved when Cruz shows up and puts much needed energy that carries it to the end of the movie.
It reminds me of a warped Hannah and her Sisters with Hall playing the proper Mia Farrow character, Johannson playing the angst-ridden Barbara Hershey character and Cruzz is the crazy unpredictable Dianne Weist sister. Bardem would be the Michael Caine of the story and Patricia Clarkson, the dissatisified Maureen O’Sullivan.
I’m glad to see Kevin Dunn getting a billing in the poster. When was the last time was he ever a selling point for marketing a movie? He’s been a very reliable character actor as a support cast in so many movies.
It’s an interesting picture. No face in the middle and all of them showing their partial faces on the edge of the frame. And it doesn’t seemed forced at all. (Except that you can tell that Scarlet is pushing her booty back for some bump and grind). [I so did not just say that].
I can’t wait either.
But I will have more than 6 days to wait…
ho – ‘thematic complexity’… that is what I like to hear…
The poster is very appealing for some reason.
Can U imagine how wonderful it would be??? Javier Bardem handing the Oscar to Penelope Cruz… Lovely!!! I love Pe!!! Go, Pe!!!
you lucky people… having 6 cinema screens here in this island (4 of them devoted to blockbuster fanfare) will make this movie’s premiere here around 2012
That said, how I love Cruz in her spanish language movies. This role seems likely to get her an award (or 2 or 3). Javier… OMG, Javier… on D Juan mode? I’m sweating already.
If this is Woody Allen channeling Almodovar, and succeeding while maintaining his own wicked neurotic intellectual sense of humor, we have a winner
Dang it does seem like along time to wait now
As I was saying over at DOROTHY PORKER and k’s fabulous blog INSIDE THE GOLD…
Um…YEAH.
If you look up the word TEMPESTUOUS in the dictionary, one of the definitions is MIRANDA WILDING.
And someone whose last name begins with an A owes me an e-mail.
Before Friday…