Mostly pleased
Added 2/7/2010
The service was fine, came fast and in good condition. The movie itself was not as good as I would have liked. Surely not the fault of the vendor. I would rent again from them.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Awesome movie
Added 2/1/2010
I bought this movie solely for my future wife, Penelope Cruz. And sure the other girl too. However to my delightful surprise, this movie was beautiful, cleverly funny, musically charming, and very interesting characters. With scenes of Spain, I love the Spanish guitar that is played throughout the film. The film is quasi romantic, has slight suspense, and extremely clever. If you're seeking a pure comedy movie, watch Zombieland; or a romantic comedy try Love Actually as this is neither. Having a hard time describing where this fits in and who would watch this movie; I suppose get it if you love the talented Penelope and 'ok' actress Scarlett, as they are one of most beautiful women in the world.
As for the HD vs DVD, I wasn't sure if I could tell the difference, but a few dollars more who wouldn't want to see these women in HD?
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Ending where we start
Added 12/30/2009
What do we want in life? Do we want the happy ending? Do we want to live the safe life? Do we want to always search for adventure?
These are the questions that Woody Allen and this film ask of its viewers. Cristina is the classic lost youth of generation X/Y, looking for a meaning in the worlds, knowing only what she does not like. Vicki, on the other hand, is the career oriented woman who knows exactly what she wants, and has the husband to match. She is leading a safe life. When posed with the question by the dashing Javier Bardem as the mysterious and sensitive painter Juan Antonio, these two woman are forced to confront their own philosophies of life. Infused with the ever vivacious Penelope Cruz and the muse and femme fatale, Maria Elena, this film is another Allen masterpiece of existential angst played in his late comic style. Set against the beautiful backdrop of Catalonia, the film has all the classic Allen tricks, the fun voice overs and the wacky Allen mid movie alter ego. A must watch. In the end, you may not like this film, but in the very least you will no what you do not like...much like the characters in this film.
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WOODY ALLEN: ALWAYS REFRESHING!
Added 12/25/2009
Vicky and Cristina, two American college students, decide to spend the summer in Barcelona, Spain. During their visit they meet a bohemian Spanish painter named Juan Antonio who's recently separated from his wife Maria Elena after a stormy relationship. The plot thickens in several directions when both women find themselves attracted to Juan Antonio! Once again Woody Allen proves his mastery at writing and directing original and refreshing stories. The three women: Rebeca Hall, Scarlet Johansen and Penélope Cruz look beautiful. Cruz won a well-deserved Academy Award for playing Maria Elena. Good show, don't miss it.
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Allen Finds His Romantic and Artistic Muse in Spain with a Sharp, Eclectic Cast
Added 12/21/2009
From a thematic standpoint, Woody Allen's second 2008 film offers nothing we haven't already seen in his earlier work like Manhattan and Hannah and Her Sisters. Like those classics and several lesser efforts, this 2008 romantic dramedy is a distilled examination of why men and women long for romance and how we fluidly fall in and out of love as a result, often with dire consequences and not without personal humiliation. What makes this entry particularly welcome is the full-blooded infusion of Spanish art and architecture that brings an emotional ripeness to the story. It also helps that Allen has gathered a more eclectic cast than usual to inhabit the richly developed characters. This is easily the most enjoyable film he has made since going abroad and probably his funniest since at least 2000's Small Time Crooks.
The plot focuses on two American college friends, polar opposites on the subject of love, as they vacation in Barcelona for the summer. As the conservative one who values stability and devotion, Vicky is there to study "Catalan Identity" as she waits to return to the states to marry Doug, an ambitious young man who maps out their future with a stifling lack of spontaneity. Failed filmmaker Cristina, on the other hand, is a romantic adventurer who craves unbridled passion with no limits. Their differing perspectives on love clash immediately when they both catch the eye of renowned abstract painter Juan Antonio. He makes a supremely self-confident proposition to Vicky and Cristina to join him on a romantic weekend trip to Oviedo, a picturesque town near the northern coast. Naturally, Vicky is appalled and makes no bones in telling him so, but Cristina is excited by the idea of being seduced by him. They agree to go with him and face unexpected consequences. Things get even more complicated when Juan Antonio's tempestuous ex-wife Maria Elena shows up and forces him to face his weaknesses.
Part of the resulting roundelay feels like a throwback to Allen's A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy, but there is also a palpable sense of melancholy more reminiscent of his mid-period films like Crimes and Misdemeanors and Husbands and Wives. What remains consistent throughout is the filmmaker's incurable romanticism, a freshly optimistic viewpoint that makes the film thoroughly pleasurable despite the familiar set-up. The performances are terrific beginning with Rebecca Hall, a surprising find as Vicky, a young woman who thought she knew what she wanted only to find out too late that it's not what she wants at all. As a typical Allen heroine, Hall lets her initially strident manner as Vicky give way to a resonating sadness. As for Scarlett Johansson, the third time's definitely a charm. In Match Point, Allen exploited her effortless sensuality, while he tried to make her a fumbling Diane Keaton copy in Scoop. As Cristina, however, she gets to blend together her carnal allure and comic insecurity in a more seamless fashion. She has a wonderfully funny moment when she just can't control her titillation at Juan Antonio's proposal in the restaurant.
For those who have only recently been introduced to his mesmerizing work by way of his maniacal killer in the Coen Brothers' No Country for Old Men, Javier Bardem is completely convincing as Juan Antonio, a man who effortlessly controls the fates of the three women enraptured by his sensual manner and open soul. Unlike a shallower actor like Antonio Banderas, Bardem manages to move between smoldering and vulnerable with fluency. As Maria Elena, Penélope Cruz finally comes into her own in a non-Almodóvar film. Taking the concept of a tortured artist to an extreme, the actress blazes with dangerous vitality, even though the role is relatively minor. She brings visceral life to the combative relationship between her and Juan Antonio, and at the same time, displays a sharp Allenesque wit, especially when she slyly ridicules Cristina in Spanish during their tension-filled conversations. The always-reliable Patricia Clarkson is quietly effective as a family friend of Vicki's with secrets of her own, while Chris Messina conveys the right level of unctuous smarminess as Doug.
The film is beautiful to look at thanks to the luscious, sun-dappled cinematography by Javier Aguirresarobe. With Gaudi's most famous work on display, Barcelona could hardly look more appealing on film. Just as evocative is the atmospheric music by a bevy of contemporary Spanish composers. The one aspect that doesn't work quite as well as intended is Christopher Evan Welch's stentorian narration, which lacks the right level of irony to make the ploy worthwhile. Most of the time, it comes across as a conceit to explain parts of the narrative that seem clear enough from the scenes. Regardless, this is a genuine return to form for Allen and well worth seeing for fans.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Mostly pleased
Added 2/7/2010
The service was fine, came fast and in good condition. The movie itself was not as good as I would have liked. Surely not the fault of the vendor. I would rent again from them.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Awesome movie
Added 2/1/2010
I bought this movie solely for my future wife, Penelope Cruz. And sure the other girl too. However to my delightful surprise, this movie was beautiful, cleverly funny, musically charming, and very interesting characters. With scenes of Spain, I love the Spanish guitar that is played throughout the film. The film is quasi romantic, has slight suspense, and extremely clever. If you're seeking a pure comedy movie, watch Zombieland; or a romantic comedy try Love Actually as this is neither. Having a hard time describing where this fits in and who would watch this movie; I suppose get it if you love the talented Penelope and 'ok' actress Scarlett, as they are one of most beautiful women in the world.
As for the HD vs DVD, I wasn't sure if I could tell the difference, but a few dollars more who wouldn't want to see these women in HD?
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Ending where we start
Added 12/30/2009
What do we want in life? Do we want the happy ending? Do we want to live the safe life? Do we want to always search for adventure?
These are the questions that Woody Allen and this film ask of its viewers. Cristina is the classic lost youth of generation X/Y, looking for a meaning in the worlds, knowing only what she does not like. Vicki, on the other hand, is the career oriented woman who knows exactly what she wants, and has the husband to match. She is leading a safe life. When posed with the question by the dashing Javier Bardem as the mysterious and sensitive painter Juan Antonio, these two woman are forced to confront their own philosophies of life. Infused with the ever vivacious Penelope Cruz and the muse and femme fatale, Maria Elena, this film is another Allen masterpiece of existential angst played in his late comic style. Set against the beautiful backdrop of Catalonia, the film has all the classic Allen tricks, the fun voice overs and the wacky Allen mid movie alter ego. A must watch. In the end, you may not like this film, but in the very least you will no what you do not like...much like the characters in this film.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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