Vicky Christina Barcelona, 2008

Vicky Christina Barcelona, 2008
Director: Woody Allen
Cast: Penelope Cruz, Scarlett Johannson, Javier Bardem, Rebecca Hall




Stage: Home theatre, another viewing (seen before on the movie festival LIFFE)


Vicky Christina Barcelona in short: Sexually adventurous Cristina and her friend Vicky, who is bright but cautious, holiday in Barcelona where they meet the celebrated and wholly seductive painter, Juan Antonio. Vicky is not about to dive into a sexual adventure being committed to her forthcoming marriage. But Cristina is immediately captivated by Juan Antonio's free spirit and his romantic allure is enhanced when she hears the delicious details of his divorce from fellow artist, the tempestuous Maria Elena.

Preps: I am a huge fan of Allen's work, therefore I need to see this regardless of what it might do to me :)

Reality: One of the typical Allen's perspective is to go into a woman's soul, making ironic scenery and drive sarcasm out of the soul of the spectator. Which is truly why I love his movies. And somehow, I find it amusing that he can put Johannson into so many different roles, as I see her as his sexual muse.

This piece is set in the beautiful scenery in Barcelona. The place we absolutely agree on, everyone should go for the summer. So in this sense, a dream becomes reality and you get to see all the dirty details of one's summer in this city. The beginning seems quite undemanding to the viewer and the storyline is pretty simple. When Bardem gets his visio in the scope of the camera, this is the place where everything gets complicated and Allen gets his piece of the pie. The love triangle, where Johansson plays a giant role of a traditional woman, that strives to check out something completely out of her scope, at the end realizing it's not what she wants (oh, what a surprise there ;) - no fairies last a long time, right? ). It's amazing to see all the quarreling between an old couple, combining it with a newcoming love into a formation of a sort of triangle, after that receiving every bit of positive side of this for a while, then turning into a flashlight or a sparkle and fading away. In a sense, a lection on how things fade away even though they seem quite sparkled at the beginning and how we should cherish life when it's happening, not mourning when it's finished. That goes for special moments as well.

Nevertheless, Barcelona in this sense is a metaphore for an escape. I see it in some aspect as the famous phrase "what happens in Vegas.." in this sense, of course, what happens in Spain.. I could easily claim the movie to be anti commercial for Spain (or american women), however, I see a deeper point into making your soul cope with metaphores and giving them a chance to breathe in the real life. Marrying a guy, running right afterwards in a strange country you don't know, falling in love with someone else and forgetting about it when you return to real life? Or, on the other hand, falling in love into the same guy as your friend, coping with life with his ex in the same house, making love to both and then at the end of the day, living with yourself, if you were brought up with traditional values and despise the fact that you are this way? A pile of challenges, Allen in his own way, exposes to the viewer. The movie will lie down on your soul gently and will comfort you with the way things turn out. Nevertheless, I believe the ending to be too average for Allen and I don't like it. I just don't see life as rosy as it turns out for the two ladies. And if it does stay in Spain, it for sure also stays in the mind and soul.


My personal rate: 7,0 (a fine, loveable piece I enjoy watching all over again.)


Barcelona on IMDB

Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides, 2011

Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides, 2011
Director: Rob Marshall
Cast: Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz, Ian McShane, Geoffrey Rush



Stage: Local theatre, 3D with glasses (can you imagine the fact that you pay extra for the 3D show and after that, you still need to pay for the glasses before you enter the theatre? Feels like an undeveloped state..)

Pirates in short: Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp) crosses paths with a woman from his past (Cruz), and he's not sure if it's love -- or if she's a ruthless con artist who's using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. When she forces him aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, the ship of the formidable pirate Blackbeard (McShane), Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn't know who to fear more: Blackbeard or the woman from his past.


Preps: Wow, is it the fourth in the row? So silent launch, I accidentally found the news about the premiere on the local news. I cannot believe it - I think I heard some rumours in this week. I am anxious to get my hands on this piece, as I am a huge fan of Carribean Pirates, not to say Johnny Depp as first obviously ;)


Reality: I feel like I'm stuck in a cartoon. And I never want to be drug out of this one. Sparrow remains Sparrow, the mistery they are solving this time seems similar, the dame is another and main villains are also somewhat same.
What makes this a masterpiece? Well, the bundle, I guess. The music is stimulating and makes you want to dance while you are watching. The move Sparrow keeps making makes me want to repeat it, same as some fans want to still repeat Jackson's moves :)
It is the same and at this point, I think I know it by heart. It just gives an add on to all the fights.

The humour is also one of the main characters of the movie. You need to get into the mood "everything is possible", to cope with this piece. I think that in any other brain mindset you will get lost in all the doubtful stories, all the actions of stealing something right before your nose. And of course, all get well and noone will get hurt. If not submerged to the pirate's laws :)

In Slovenia, we have a good comic book by Miki Muster. When I was young, I wanted to read this constantly. And I could never get fed up by those three characters. Stories similar, fights changed only in scene positioning, but solid good humour and fun to read. The same feeling I have here with the saga of the Pirates - I am absolutely a fan, although I admit it's not rocket science now with the fourth sequel. Now, as we are marketeered by the first piece and the audience usually gets accomodated with the first part (and normally hates the other parts), in this case, you cannot hate this part. It is just as fun to watch as the first one. But I do admit the first one was a hit in the heart for most of the viewers, including me. The scenery couldn't be more magical - most of the scenes were shot in the jungle of Dominica. And some of Photo Shop helps, of course. Still, you will enjoy your ride with the Pirates, if you liked the first parts.


My personal rate: 6,0 (a good piece, especially regarding the fact that it's the fourth in the row - normalwise, the fun and the quality staggers when the director wants to make a second last sentence or even third or fourth).


Pirates on IMDB

Pirates official home page

Captain Corelli's Mandolin, 2001

Captain Corelli's Mandolin, 2001
Director: John Madden
Cast:Nicholas Cage, Penelope Cruz, John Hurt



Corelli's in short - In 1941, Italy allies with Germany and ruthlessly conquers the much weaker country of Greece. On a remote Greek island, an Italian artillery garrison is established to maintain order. One Italian officer, Captain Corelli, adopts an attitude of mutual co-existence with the Greeks and engages in such activities as music festivals and courting the daughter of a local doctor. In 1943, however, after Italy surrenders to the Allies and changes sides in the war, Captain Corelli must defend the Greek island against a German invasion.

Stage: Home TV selection on an exhausting day - in the evening, when everything in the day went wrong but the evening is fit to cope with this selection


Preps: I have started to watch this piece several times, but never finished, something always came up. Will this one be a lucky time?


Reality: The movie is one of the splendid pieces of misunderstood love in the time of war. And the cruelty of the war itself, making arlies, making enemies, turning someone into a friend or quite the opposite.. Movies like these always make me think about the origin of the war and all the men behind it. Repeat, all the men behind it. OK, I am aware of some of women, involved in several (or being at the back, dragging the curtains, while the men fought - like Cleopatra, Queens of England, etc.) However, the idea of having thousands of men out there fighting because someone told them to, losing the faith, belief, not knowing who to trust, stealing, raping, abusing.. and being away from their homes several years while doing all this, coming home as animals or at least other persons.., makes huge rage inside me. And the reason why this is necessary? I don't think it's necessary at all. In my romantic perspective I would make all wars dissappear. But, if I cannot do that or if this is truly unreal, then it's necessary to watch these kinds of movies and remember, where wars lead and what kind of monsters lie in each and everyone of us, if we are provoked the right way.
The movie somehow reminds me of Malena (with Monica Belucci, superb act in that piece). We have a woman figure that falls for the wrong man. Nothing really new about this - ever since Romeo and Juliet we have been seeing that kind of play. But every now and then, an extraordinary interpretation comes along. This is quite the one. Both of them aren't really meant to be stuck in this world of war. Cage, with his talent and love for music and she, the wannabe doctor, just trying not to fit at all in the show. A beautiful love story, filled with emotions and yearning, filled with all the wrong and the right things. And the idea, that the true love can last forever
The movie starts and ends with the same idea - community energy and love will take the people that are a part of it, a very long way. The dance in circle, to celebrate the feast of the season. The energy that was lost in the war comes back once again.
Are friends really friends in times of war? You can be certain that after seeing this "romance", you will for sure have some doubts in your head. Did nazis fight with italians? For sure. But did they also kill them? Of course. It just depends on the time slot you are looking at. The movie is one big historical "factogram" how the Greeks saw the whole deal (and all the islands for that matter).
The quote I love the most in the piece: You fall in love and out of love through the eyes. Because you fall in love with a person, not the body.


My personal rating: 8,0 (a strong piece, filled with things to think about)

Captain on IMDB

Head In The Clouds, 2004

Head in the clouds, 2004
Director: John Duigan
Cast: Stuart Townsend, Penelope Cruz, Charlize Theron



Head in short: a sweeping romantic drama set in 1930's England, Paris, and Spain. Gilda Bessé shares her Paris apartment with an Irish schoolteacher, Guy Malyon, and Mia, a refugee from Spain. As the world drifts toward war, Gilda defiantly pursues her hedonistic lifestyle and her burgeoning career as a photographer. But Guy and Mia feel impelled to join the fight against fascism, and the three friends are separated - seemingly forever.


Stage: Home theatre

Preps: None in perticular. A brilliant cast set and war as a background give me high expectations.


Reality: One of the better ones in terms of war drama, romantic drama. Brilliant cast by Theron, another one of Cruz. Making a love triangle from director's perspective is brilliant, in this cast set also possible to really bite into the challenge. Threesome form a miraculous set for adventures, indulging life as it was just before the war. The scenery is amazing, awsomely dragging you into that period with the clothes, parties, shoes, hats. The manners of behaviour. The food and the drinking. Enjoying company and wasting the time, not like in present, when we run around headless and without breathing. Shown as potential the viewer can only dwell upon and think how good it would be to be there for some time.
The story turns completely around with the savage approach to the war. The perspective is european, but in my opinion pretty honest. If in the first half you want to experience this - the director in the second half makes sure you remember that it was one of the most disastrous moments in history of mankind and that there's nothing for individual to wish to be there.
The piece involves everything worth remembering. The suffering, endless romance. Expectations. Indulgement. All in one piece.


My personal rating: 8,0 (something worth seeing and remembering. I simply adore Theron and Cruz).

Head in the clouds on IMDB
Head in the clouds homepage