Iffy for 16+
Smart, mature film about love, lust, and more.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that although this romantic dramedy has some risque material (infidelity, discussion of threesomes, passionate embraces), overall it's a witty, intelligent take on the complexities of relationships. As per usual with writer/director Woody Allen's work, its subject matter and complicated characters will likely appeal more to grown-ups than the teenage set. There's some social drinking and smoking and a little bit of swearing, and lovers are shown in various stages of courtship and love-making -- but there's no outright nudity.
- Families can talk about the film's take on relationships -- both between friends and between lovers. Do you think the characters' relationships are realistic? What makes Vicky and Cristina such good friends? How is their friendship tested by Juan Antonio? Fans of Woody Allen can also discuss how this movie compares to his other films. What do his movies tend to have in common?
The good stuff
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Messages: An engaged woman cheats on her fiancé and later, after they're married, considers doing it again. Another married woman fantasizes about trysting with other men and is caught kissing someone besides her husband. Lovers lie to each other and play games, though for the most part the lead characters are quite accepting of on another's needs and take great care to examine their lives and compulsions. The main relationships are actually quite loving and giving.
What to watch for
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Violence: A tempestuous woman fires shots at her ex-lover and hurts someone in the process; they also quarrel loudly, sometimes throwing things around. There's talk of how she tries to kill herself.
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Sex: Couples (men and women, women and women) kiss passionately. Lovers are shown making love, though no genitals are seen; post-sex, they're shown naked from the upper chest up, the rest covered by sheets. Lots of frank talk about sex, including discussions about threesomes. In a few scenes, a man and two women kiss and embrace.
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Language: A few uses of "s--t."
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Consumerism: Not an issue
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Drinking, drugs and smoking: Lots of social drinking. Some smoking.
Fan Reviews provided by
5
How can you review a movie you haven't seen? by ellieirish
Vicky Cristina Barcelona opened today, on August 15th, yet people on this website have been reviewing it since July 27th. I'd truly like to hear from people who have actually seen this movie. My rating is MUST GO because I believe one has to go to the movie, and see it, before they can offer anything credible to say.
5
Smart,Sexy...not your adolescent movie! by dolphins08
Leave the kids at home..and enjoy,smart ,sexy acting...Penelope Cruz gets another Academy Award nomination!...Have a feeling that the poor ratings are from movie watchers sitting there with their spouses, squirming in their seats..daydreaming about what COULD have been..if they had actually not just played it SAFE in life!!!
5
Woody Allen Has Convienced Me He Is The Best! by THEDEVILMIGUEL93
"Vicky Christina Barcelona" is the greatest movie I have seen this year, and maybe the rest of my life. This love story so closely portrays what love in the real world truly is, not in movies. The actors are all amazing, the locations are breathtaking and the art is beautiful. Woody will forever be my favorite director and my greatest influence. If you are familiar with his work or any of the other actors' work, you will like the movie. If you like good love stories or a sexy adventurous story about passionate people, you will also like the movie. If you like tragedy and suffering, you will also like the film. YOU WILL LIKE THE FILM PERIOD! Must Go!
5
A winner!!!!! by atintune
Another Woody Allen movie that is entertaining and has lots of good messages. When it was over the audience clapped. I loved everything about it the scenery, the dialog, and all the interesting things Woody says that makes you think about your own life. The characters were good and the acting was wonderful and of course Woody wrote and directed it and he is a genius.
5
Thought provoking by JGSC1947
I'm not a Woody Allen fan. And I thought this film was wonderful. It begins slowly and then just keeps building in a quiet, humorous, thought provoking way. One comes away thinking about trying to figure out what you want or don't, what love is (transient?), how long one must live within the bounds one's childhood or genes (biochemistry) have set, whether or not one is truly free to choose a life, what's the measure of success, what boundaries (polygamy?) are functional or dysfunctional, how Bohemians live (surely not so well), why humans haven't evolved more (Grandpa's way of getting back), what it means to make a contribution to the world (tangible, traditional, intangible), and how society can destroy a person's innate creativity--or not. Put all of that reflection on the nature of life amidst the hilarity of plane rides, romantic Spain, and Penelope Cruz's craziness and the film was, for me, hilarious and very thought provoking.
5
An Exhilerating Escape from my life by tofusushi
After walking out of raunchy Tropic Thunder last week, I savored every minute of Vicky Cristina Barcelona. As a single mom, I only get a couple hours to myself every week. I feel so cheated if the movie I choose disappoints me because I have to wait another week to see another one.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona blissfully transported me to Spain for two hours. I felt the Barcelona sunshine on my skin and wished I could reach out and touch Javier Bardem. His tortured artist character would make a poor husband but I would love to meet him during a carefree summer in Spain.
If you liked Under the Tuscan Sun, you will probably enjoy Vicky Cristina Barcelona.
5
Charming! by ItsNatasha
Loved it! Loved the characters, loved the setting, loved the music, loved it!
4
Different Than I Expected, But Quite Funny by TMapou
This movie was NOTHING like I expected. The media had me joking that it was Woody Allen's "venture into soft core porn," but nothing could be further from the truth. There was definitely a sexual theme to the movie, as well as a few sex scenes, but nothing graphic-and no nudity of any kind.
As for my opinion of the movie, I found it to be very funny. I thought it was one of Woody Allen's rare dramas, with some comedic moments sprinkled in, but it was a lot closer to a typical Woody Allen comedy than that (though not exactly the same as a typical Woody Allen comedy). Penelope Cruz was the best part of the movie as Javier Bardem's crazy and unbalanced ex-wife. People often say that Cruz is only good in Spanish-language films, and she speaks a lot of Spanish in this movie, so there might be something to that theory. Javier Bardem was very charming and witty. Scarlett Johansson and (particularly) Rebecca Hall were also very good and funny.
If you like Woody Allen movies, go see this.
4
Well Done. by elvispiva
I prefer Woody Allen's comedies. That is really his strong suit. This movie was well made and it was easily Scarlett Johanssen's best work since Lost in Translation, but that's not saying much.
2
"empty sex" by washed_up
How disappointing.
I want to say that it's my fault, that my expectations were too high or that I wasn't in the mood for a...somewhat romantic-comedyish book -on- tape with an overcooked plot line that (Inserts ******* scene here)? But realistically, the whole thing was just kind of tiresome. The only thing more annoying than the narrator's inflection (why was there a narrator??) was the fact that Penelope Cruz won an oscar... for playing Penelope Cruz.