“Vicky Cristina Barcelona” -
Scarlett Johannsson, Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Rebecca Hall, Patricia Clarkson

I have to confess that I do enjoy Woody Allen and he has gotten mellower but more sexually overt in his advanced film making. He is also (possibly forced) using overseas settings a lot more often since he created such a debacle in his personal life some years ago. This has a very unique cast, rather like Scarlett is his new Mia and Rebecca his new Diane. I couldn’t take my eyes off Bardem. The last movie I saw him in was No Country for Old Men and he was just as riveting but in grotesque and frightening way, this time I simply wanted his clothes off! HOT.

Two best friends on opposite sides of life and love spend a summer in Barcelona both falling for the same man who is in turn hopelessly and virtually fatalistically captivated by his ex-wife Penelope Cruz. Their relationship only works when a third is in it. This gives new meaning to ménage a trois and the delight it can bring.

Of course it wouldn’t be Woody Allen without poignancy and tragedy to balance the comedic moments. Patricia Clarkson does a brilliant job as the trapped housewife, no longer in love, but too terrified of life and herself to leave her husband. One of those, glad-I-haven’t-yet-married moments for this viewer. The ending sort of fizzled, predictable and not terribly original, felt like Woody got bored and left.

“Vantage Point” -
Matthew Fox, William Hurt, Dennis Quaid, Forest Whitaker, Sigourney Weaver

This was Memento meets Ground Hog Day but not as mind twisting or as funny. I think I could have lived with 3-5 vantage points but felt more like 17 and that was too many. I actually left the theatre laughing out loud at the absurdity and I don’t think that was the reaction the makers wanted. The cast was all star, Hurt aging well looking more and more translucent in his own skin; Whitaker playing the innocent bystander and hero; Weaver has definitely had work done and looked fantastic sans makeup as the mobile newsroom director; Quaid looked rode hard and put away wet, he needs to have work done! He also was the superhero and that was the laughable part. This was disjointed, lots of gaps, and I didn’t recognize any of the bad guys so I never got attached.