Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

Last week when I posted the trailer for the upcoming PBS documentary about Woody Allen, I came to the realization that I had yet to blog about any of his films. I have now decided to rectify this grave oversight.

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Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) go to Barcelona for the summer where they meet an artist (Javier Bardem) and his estranged wife (Penelope Cruz) who change their lives forever.

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A lot of noise has been made in the press over the past few years about the collaboration between Woody Allen and Scarlett Johansson. Countless journalists have made comparisons to Woody’s collaborations with Diane Keaton. Though Johansson isn't half the actor Keaton is, the comparison is somewhat apt. To understand this we'll have to hop into the DeLorean and head all the way back to Annie Hall in 1977...

When she first meets Alvy, Annie is very inhibited and self-conscious. She does not feel secure with herself as a singer/photographer. She sees Alvy as intellectually superior to her. As the film progresses this gradually changes. She becomes more confident. By the end of their relationship, she has no problem expressing her thoughts and feelings. She is also able to embrace her own talent. The dissolution of their relationship is inevitable. Annie is a new person and no longer needs Alvy.

Now let's jump forwards to 2008...

In Vicky Cristina Barcelona Johansson plays a girl who goes to Spain to try and 'find herself'. Through a relationship with two chaotic artists, she is able to discover her own voice. At the end of the film she realizes that she no longer needs the artists and leaves to strike out on her own.

Aside from Manhattan Murder Mystery in the early 90s, Woody and Keaton have not worked together in nearly three decades. Like Annie and Alvy they needed each other for a while, but after a point they had to part ways. They no longer need each other creatively. Judging by Woody and Scarlett's most recent collaboration, history seems set to repeat itself.