Woody makes another decent film during his sunset years – who would have thunk it? Match Point wasn’t a fluke after all. As with that film, one can’t help feeling that he was invigorated by a change in locale – in this case Spain. Apparently the Spanish government paid for a whack of the budget (via their film fund), annoying many Spanish filmmakers, and while I can sympathise with them, to be fair they’ll probably get their money back on this one, and also it’s a fantastic ad for Spain. The photography is gorgeous and pretty much every scene has the characters in a stunning house or great restaurant, or looking at some scenery. Throw in some attractive movie stars and a breezy air and you don’t mind the long running time and flabby nature of the piece. Well, not that much.
Javier Baderm is perfect as the womanising painter – who else could have played this role if the actor had become unavailable – and Penelope Cruz is terrific as his crazy ex (she’s a 110% better actor in Spanish). Scarlett Johansson is beautiful and in good form, too, as a typical Allen younger character, i.e. a love hungry crazy up for any sort of adventure (eg Juliette Lewis in Husbands and Wives, Scarlett in Match Point, Rhada Mitchell in Melinda and Melinda). Rebecca Hall is beautiful too as her friend although her performance is a bit iffy. Maybe I was having a hard time adjusting to her speaking voice or something. She was a little flat. The guy who played her fiancée was really bad. This is a film that needed a star – Badern, Cruz and Johansson are, Hall isn’t. (It’s like a film for a young Mia Farrow and Diane Keaton, but while they got the young Mia they couldn’t find the young Diana).
This is the first Allen picture in ages too which young people, especially young women, could enjoy – it doesn’t talk down to them and Allen seems to have affection for his characters. It doesn’t strike the false notes that pop up in so many of his other recent films. It probably could have done with a comedy subplot with a young Woody working at the American consulate or something – but Woody is too old now and who can play a young version of him?
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