Review: No surprises here

Vicky Cristina Barcelona (A)

Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Penelope Cruz, Rebecca Hall, Javier Bardem, Chris Messina, Patricia Clarkson, Carrie Preston, Kevin Dunn, Pablo Schreiber, Zak Orth

Director: Woody Allen

Rating: * * *

Woody Allen uses sexual attraction to define this dramedy about two young American tourists Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) in Spain who fall for the same guy, a flamboyant artist Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem) - who also happens to have an on-again off-again relationship with his ex-wife Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz).

There are no surprises here though. The first half of the film is sedate and moves along in contemplative mode until the entry of Maria who brings in all the fire-works with her and makes the ensuing drama much more interesting and engrossing.

Cruz leaps into the frame breathing fire into a narrative that had almost gone to sleep following the two tourists and their trysts with Juan. Her performance is remarkable and the sexual chemistry between Bardem and Cruz is almost palpable.

Bardem plays his ladies-man role efficiently, Johanssen is aptly cast as the sexually adventurous free spirit and Rebecca Hall gives a good account as a morally rigid soon-to-be-married young woman who finds her self equally tempted by the possibilities of an affair with Juan.

Allen's narrative is filled with touristy details of the Catalan countryside and has a tempo and mood that vibrates with the heavy local sounds and flavous. The film has its amusing moments, is plotted with plausible efficiency and is quietly engrossing despite it's over-dependence on verbosity!