Vicky Christina Barcelona

Well, where do I begin? Let's start by saying I didn't want to go see this movie, in fact was dragged virtually kicking and screaming. Who wants to watch a movie about two white women going to go find themselves or something? Apparently my wife does. And, therefore so do I.

It could have been the fact that I had the best darned popcorn in the world, but I have to say I was pleased with this film. To be frank, I can't stand Woody Allen. His particular brand of New York neurotocism wears on me, having grown up in NYC and not being able to stand neuroticism. I like it much better when he himself actually isn't in the movie.

OK, all that being said, did I tell you about the popcorn. I went to this theater and they pop it PER PERSON, PER ORDER. My god! I sauntered to my seat with a steaming bag of popped popcorn. So for all you folks at home who are planning on renting this, you know what you need to do...

But, for the reals, two white women off to Barcelona for the summer to find themselves, wittingly or unwittingly. I have to say that I enjoyed the fact that the stereotypes of the white characters in the movie were spot on and well scripted and shot. javier Bardem plays the European romantic so well as do Johannsen and Hall as the confused one and the safe life planned out one respectively. In a way, i t was refreshing to see a movie about Americans who go to Europe to find themselves rather than saving brown people in India and coming home wearing bindis and saris because they are so progressive and spiritual. No, thank god, woody allen is better than that.

In fact he slices through the adulthood angst stemming from those with set lives and the hopelessly confused stereotypes. The two main characters are these polar opposites but they each confront their limitations in due course of the story. I actually found myself able to relate to the feelings of two white women! To me that speaks to Woody Allen's ability to describe some aspect of the human condition with pure honesty. Or maybe it's that I was a confused hipster wannabe until I got married and had a hell of a time accepting the boring standard predictability that became my life. Maybe deep down I am a white woman. Two white women.

Warning: Spoiler ahead!

Regardless, Allen's twist on the "i left America to find myself" story comes at the end where they don't find the miraculous changes they believed were at the end of the proverbial european dreamy romantic rainbow. They leave just the way they came. Leave to Woody Allen to find a way to make telling the truth a novel idea.

In sum:
1. great soundtrack.
2. relatable neurotic white women.
3. beautiful Barcelona in the background.
4. desperation of feeling trapped by your own inadequacies.
5. lack of revelation a postmodern twist on the age old tale of coming of age when we realize we don't come of age.

oh just buy the soundtrack and move on with your life.