FemaleFirst.co.uk: DVD: Vicky Cristina Barcelona [Blu-ray] [2008]

Vicky Cristina Barcelona [Blu-ray] [2008]
enlarge	Director: Woody Allen Actors: Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Scarlett Johansson, Rebecca Hall, Patricia Clarkson Studio: Optimum Home Entertainment Category: DVD List Price: ~~£24.99~~ Buy New: £6.77 as of 25/11/2009 01:06 GMT details You Save: £18.22 (73%) New (12) Used (5) from £6.59 Seller: cavalcade-of-dvds Rating: 7 reviews Sales Rank: 6715 Format: PAL Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over Media: Blu-ray Number Of Discs: 1 Running Time: 96 Minutes Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2 Dimensions (in): 6.6 x 5.4 x 0.6 EAN: 5055201807519 ASIN: B001TJKVBY Theatrical Release Date: 2008 Release Date: June 22, 2009 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days


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Customer Reviews: Showing reviews 1-5 of 7 1 2 Next » Diasagree September 11, 2009 Dead Ankles (Toronto) I never review on Amazon but when I saw this Blu Ray getting these reviews I had to chime in. While i am sure this film is not for everyone, I loved it. And all my friends who have seen it loved it. It is absolutely hilarious with strong performances from Bardem and Cruz. It is humour you either like or don't. br / br /The picture quality on the Blu is superb mainly because it was shot in beautiful parts of Spain with great light. The sound is stereo which is how Woody Allen does it, same as the cinema. br / br /It is well worth renting or buying at a low price (not the kind of film you would watch over and over again). br /It is Woody's best film since Matchpoint. Woody's best since 'Everyone Says I Love You' September 11, 2009 B. Cook (England) Does Woody Allen ever sleep? Now in his early seventies, Mr. Allen continues crank out a couple of movies each year; making his writing and directing and, occasionally, acting duties look easy. Perhaps for Mr. Allen, now in production on his 44th film, it all truly is easy. Mr. Allen's prolific abilities haven't shielded him from criticism over the years; only a few years ago, following a series of poorly received films, many critics considered him to be past his prime. In a surprising turn that seemed planned to answer those critics, Mr. Allen left the confines of New York City and made his first film outside of the thriving metropolis that has served as a veritable character in all of his proceeding films. Filmed in London and as far removed from the "Woody-verse" as could be imagined, Match Point signaled that this once great writer / director was back on his game. Several films have followed, none achieving the heights of his crucial comeback. That is, until 2008's Vicky Cristina Barcelona; an Oscar nominated film that proves, once and for all, that Woody Allen still has a few tricks up his sleeve. br / br /Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson), two friends looking for a summer distraction, decide to spend their time vacationing in historic Spain. The two friends couldn't be more different; Vicky is engaged, committed and practical, while Cristina is more of a free spirit; unsure of her goals, needs or wants. While soaking up Barcelona's ambience and imbibing on the local art scene, the two vacationing friends encounter Juan Antonio (Javier Bardem), a painter with a traumatic romantic history. Juan's story is one of love, commitment and violence; his ex-wife Maria Elena (Penelope Cruz), though often caring and passionate, dominated their married life with physical and emotional pain. It's these experiences with Maria Elena that define Juan Antonio's existence and influence his every day life. Vicky and Cristina each are each instantly fascinated buy this unique man, though both deny their obvious attraction to him. As the summer wears on, Vicky and Cristina will each have their own opportunities to indulge in his affections and, in the process, will discover the experiences and ideals that they each crave. br / br /Much has been written about Woody Allen's habit of finding young, talented actresses and using them as muses for his writing and directing endeavors. Over the past 40 years, Diane Keaton and Mia Farrow occupied this role in countless Allen films; now, Scarlett Johansson has taken up as Mr. Allen's go-to actress and muse. She's an inspired pick and has clearly motivated the legendary filmmaker to move his storytelling in new directions. Ms. Johansson effortlessly inhabits the role of Cristina; a role specifically created for her. She perfectly embodies the carefree yet confused attitude of a woman perfectly in tune with her most basic desires while remaining blissfully blind to others' perceptions. br / br /Vicky Cristina Barcelona follows the title characters as they wander through Spain and ponder their lives. It's a leisurely-paced film that allows the characters ample time to develop while focusing on the complex intricacies of sexual relationships and the confusion these relationships eventually encounter. Juan Antonio acts as the film's catalyst in spurring Vicky and Cristina into new experiences, awkward affairs and moments of decisive revelation. Both women have differing experiences and arrive at different places in their lives by the end of the film. I couldn't even begin to tell you how grounded in reality these two women are, but Mr. Allen's special brand of clever dialogue and efficient storytelling is immensely effective in shrouding the sometimes bizarre events of the film in a strangely believable veil. br / br /I think it is safe to say that Vicky Cristina Barcelona is going to be a hit or miss film for many viewers. Mr. Allen's films have always appealed to a select audience and this particular story does little to break him of that limitation. Perhaps, in the end, the popularity of the many fine actors present in the film will help it to find a larger audience. I found Vicky Cristina Barcelona to be a fascinating story; one that is almost completely devoid of traditional cliches. Don't expect easy answers from the movie; Vicky Cristina Barcelona will make you work a little harder than usual to find the film's meaning. Recommended. Sleepy surprises October 10, 2009 Stig Arff Woody Allen is involved in the film but not directing it. His influence is apparent though: flowing dialogs and relational tensions abound. The story is like a snippet from peoples lives, no defined beginning or ending. We get a glimpse of four lifelines haphazardly intertwined for a short period of time with a Spanish backdrop. At times funny, at times surprising, never boring. Penelope Cruz stands out in this cast - she is dream and nightmare combined. The film is laid back, just go with the flow. A worthwhile respite from the hollywood standards. A shallow look at deep issues July 17, 2009 OEJ (England) 8 out of 16 found this review helpful Apart from being a fan of Woody Allen (well, his good films) I heard that this was a long-overdue 'return to form' so I got hold of this with hopes high and prepared myself to give it a five-star recommendation. br / br /Well, it's not BAD, but overall it's a very shallow series of examinations of a variety of very deep and meaningful issues. Those topics include what we should do with our lives, how short life is and how important it is to make the most of it, and philosophies about love, adultery, marriage in a world of art, passion and creativity in general. I have now read some other reviews here, some of which touch on the absurdities of American observations on European life, but that is something that never crossed my mind while watching the film, and although I can see what some are driving at, I don't think it's really where the film falls down. It's more a case of never rising in the first place, never making me care for anyone in particular other than wish I was as lucky as the character played by Javier Bardem - or at least during that part of the film when he had two beautiful women sharing his bed. It was always difficult to imagine how it could end, and when that end did come, it was utterly limp and unimaginative; I can imagine quite a few people looking at each other as the final credits started, pulling a face and saying "Huh?" br / br /This is a film that could have made several important points but failed to make any worth remembering, at least none that were fresh or original. The actors were attractive, as was the Spanish backdrop, but Bardem's early dark charisma faded away gradually while the two female leads never really gave the impression that they had much passion for this film, despite the fact that passion was, in theory, at its heart. Penelope Cruz added a bit of spark when she eventually appeared, but although she was welcome I now think in hindsight that she was covering up for the failures on the part of the rest of the cast to make this story special in any way. Having said that, I am rather surprised that her performance was deemed worthy of an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. Good, yes, but not that good. br / br /It's confusing really, because whatever you might think of Woody Allen (who wrote and directed this film) he has proved many times that he is a most gifted writer, so I'm scratching my head wondering how or why the script was mostly as plain vanilla as it was. There were touches of early promise but nothing was fulfilled. This is categorically NOT a return to the classic form of Woody Allen of old; it's a reasonable attempt but it feels as if Allen only wrote parts of it and for certain his heart wasn't in it. Anyone who claims this is a return to form is living in the past, just wanting another Woody Allen classic. It's a wasted opportunity in some ways but I must admit I'm struggling to think of a reason why that should be. br / br /The Blu-Ray DVD had the barest of extras on it - just subtitle options, theatrical trailers and scene selection. Nothing else. Poor film, poor sound, poor Blu Ray October 5, 2009 JD (Salisbury, Wiltshire United Kingdom) 1 out of 2 found this review helpful I'd heard this was a good film and Blu Ray reviews told me it looks great as well, well my advice is steer well clear. br / br /I can't really see how anyone would think this was visually great on Blu Ray, unless you are watching it on a smallish screen. br / br /Anyone watching it large on a projector will tell you that far too many shots are badly and distractingly out of focus and, while I accept that in some films you can have the odd soft shot, there are some reasonably close up scenes where absolutely nothing is even close to sharp. br / br /Secondly, the sound is awful if you have a home theatre. I spent the first 20 minutes trying to work out why I didn't have surround sound and why it sounded so hollow. Having looked into it today, it was because this only has a PCM three-channel soundtrack. br / br /Maybe making that clear without expecting people to understand formats etc or the settings of their machines would have been nice. br / br /Film wise, it isn't much better. The voiceover throughout is very annoying and is so frequent and so necessary that it makes me wonder whether it was included more as a salvage job to make up for missing shots than an artistic touch. br / br /If you like Woody Allen films you might well enjoy it, but a warning to everyone else, it is VERY Woody Allen in dialogue/humour style and, while this works well now and again, many will find it annoying rather than enjoyable. It's an acquired taste. br / br /Penelope Cruz is the only bright spot, which is strange as I usually find her grating. br / br /My advice is don't buy it unless you love Woody Allen and certainly don't buy it if you are looking for an impressive Blu Ray experience. br / br / Showing reviews 1-5 of 7 1 2 Next »

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