Woody Allen’s new film

Woody Allen’s new film set to attract US tourists to Barcelona

With his reedy voice and trademark shyness, Woody Allen presented his latest movie on Saturday, thus giving it its premiere in the city in which it was shot. “I wanted to portray an exotic, romantic location,” the veteran director said of Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

“One that is stimulating for the imagination of American tourists who arrive in the city for their vacation. A place with charisma— and theMediterranean.”

The 72-year-old went on to say that he is an urbanite whose natural habitat is New York, and that he was not trying to uncover the Catalan capital for its own residents. Rather, he was using the city as a backdrop for a crazy summer, as enjoyed by two young girls from the other side of the Atlantic. The film is going down well so far in the States, something that many are saying will give rise to a huge influx of American tourists to Barcelona.

According to Allen, “the city is currently exploding worldwide, just like Paris did some years ago.”

For the first residents of Barcelona to see the film, the portrayal of the city is little more than a postcard version — plenty of shots of the majestic Sagrada Familia basilica, the terrace roof of Gaudí’s La Casa Milà building, and the vibrant colors of La Rambla. Even an alleyway of the Raval neighbourhood, usually home to prostitutes, has a certain poetry through Allen’s lens.

Catalan identity

In the movie, Scarlett Johansson plays the bubblier of the two tourists. Rebecca Hall acts as a counterpoint, playing an apparently more down-to-earth character who is just about to get married, and is working on a thesis called “Catalan identity.” That is one of the few references to local culture that the film includes. “The difference [with Spanish culture] is well known outside of here, and I decided that one of my characters should be studying this particular aspect as if she were going to present it as an intellectual theme,” the director said of the plot point.

One of the strongest elements of the film is its cast, which has given rise to plenty of talk of several Best Supporting Actress prizes for Penélope Cruz. “When Woody Allen calls you up, you can only answer, ‘When and where?’” said her co-star Javier Bardem, who was also with Allen at the film’s presentation in Barcelona.

The Oscar-winning star went on to thank the director for having come up with such great scenes, including one in particular where he gets to suggest an erotic weekend in his bedroom to the two girls without ending up with a slap in the face. “I dedicate my life to finding people with huge talent,” Allen said, “and then I give them complete freedom to do what they want, and sit back and take all the credit.”

Barcelona, TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2008

FERMÍN ROBLES

El País