Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
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Two American friends navigate complex romantic entanglements while spending a summer in Barcelona.
The story
Vicky and Cristina, two American friends with contrasting views on love and commitment, spend a summer in Barcelona. While staying with Vicky's relative, they encounter Juan Antonio, an artist who is captivated by both women while remaining entangled with his unstable ex-wife, María Elena. When Juan Antonio invites them on a spontaneous trip to Oviedo, the women find their personal boundaries and perceptions of their respective relationships tested by the allure of the artist and the atmosphere of the Spanish landscape.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Vicky and Cristina visit Barcelona, where Vicky is engaged to Doug and Cristina is a nonconformist. They meet artist Juan Antonio, who invites them on a trip to Oviedo. During the trip, Cristina falls ill, leaving Vicky alone with Juan Antonio. After hearing about his tumultuous past with his ex-wife, María Elena, Vicky eventually yields to his advances. Back in Barcelona, the women's lives diverge: Vicky remains with Doug while Cristina moves in with Juan Antonio. Cristina eventually discovers that María Elena and Juan Antonio are still in love and joins them in a three-way relationship. Meanwhile, Vicky marries Doug but grows jealous of Cristina's life. As the summer ends, Judy arranges a meeting between Vicky and Juan Antonio. During a private encounter, María Elena bursts in with a gun, and Vicky is shot in the hand. She eventually confesses the truth to Cristina. The film ends with the women returning to the U.S., where Vicky resumes her married life and Cristina remains uncertain of her future.
- First release year
- 2008
- Runtime (minutes)
- 97
- Production countries
- Spain; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Woody Allen
- Writers
- Woody Allen · writer
- Cast and characters
- Javier Bardem; Patricia Clarkson; Penélope Cruz; Kevin Dunn; Rebecca Hall; Scarlett Johansson; Chris Messina
- Genres
- romantic comedy drama
- Themes
- romance; identity; relationship dynamics
- Tone and mood
- romantic; melancholy
- Premise and plot tags
- romance; drama; travel
- Reception
- The film was a commercial success and received widespread critical acclaim, particularly for Penélope Cruz's performance.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 80% · review count: 213; Metacritic · score: 70 · scale: 100 · review count: 36
- Awards and nominations
- Academy Award · Best Supporting Actress · win; BAFTA Award · Best Supporting Actress · win; Independent Spirit Award · Best Supporting Actress · win; Golden Globe · Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy · win
- Production trivia
- The film featured several paintings by Catalan artist Agustí Puig.; The film included several examples of the work of architect Antoni Gaudí.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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