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Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
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After the ill-conceived Cassandra's Dream, Woody Allen rediscovers his sense of humour with this warm, witty and surprisingly sexy comedy. A narrator recounts the misadventures of young American women Vicky (British actress Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) during a summer visit to Barcelona. The two friends immediately catch the eye of painter Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem), whose brazen proposition elicits very different responses from the footloose Cristina and the soon-to-be-wed Vicky. Couplings and conflicts of loyalty unfold against a backdrop of picturesque Catalan locations, with the return of Juan Antonio's fiery ex-wife (Penélope Cruz) leading to further upheavals. Allen is certainly not breaking new ground in depicting the culture clash between uptight Americans and hedonistic Europeans, but he largely steers clear of crude stereotypes, with Bardem both seductive and sympathetic without being overly macho. And while Allen fans will no doubt detect some of his familiar neuroses in Vicky's agonised musings over her love life, Hall still makes her character likeable (and nails the accent). But it's Cruz who makes the biggest dramatic and comic impact, in a series of spectacularly dysfunctional scenes with Bardem. This is a timely reminder that Allen can operate effectively outside the comfort zone of his native Manhattan. SS
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Tell us what you think
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Running time
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92min
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Country of origin
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US / Sp
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Genre
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Romantic Comedy Drama
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Alternate title
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Midnight in Barcelona
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Original language
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English / Spanish
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Screenplay
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Woody Allen
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Theatrical distributor
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Optimum Releasing
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UK cinema certificate
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12A
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UK cinema release date
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February 2009
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Subtitling information
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In English, Spanish with subtitles
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| awards information |
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Award |
Category |
Name |
Nominee/Winner |
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| Academy 2008 |
Actress in a Supporting Role |
Penélope Cruz |
Winner |
| British Academy Film Awards 2008 |
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role |
Penélope Cruz |
Winner |
| Golden Globe 2008 |
Best Motion Picture Comedy or Musical |
Gareth Wiley |
Winner |
| Golden Globe 2008 |
Best Motion Picture Comedy or Musical |
Helen Robin |
Winner |
| Golden Globe 2008 |
Best Motion Picture Comedy or Musical |
Stephen Tenenbaum |
Winner |
| Golden Globe 2008 |
Best Motion Picture Comedy or Musical |
Letty Aronson |
Winner |
| Golden Globe 2008 |
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical |
Javier Bardem |
Nominee |
| Golden Globe 2008 |
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Comedy or Musical |
Rebecca Hall |
Nominee |
| Golden Globe 2008 |
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role Motion Picture |
Penélope Cruz |
Nominee |
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Film certification logos reproduced by kind permission of BBFC |
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