Vicky Christina Barcelona

Originally turned off from this movie because I thought the title was dumb, we got the movie from the library and watched it Sunday night. I was immediately drawn into the movie because of the premise - 2 women (best friends) going to Barcelona for 2 months. One woman is a free spirit and the other is engaged and very sure of what her life is and will be. As soon as I saw the shots of Barcelona, I looked at Mau and said ' Let's move to Spain'. But that's another story.

Turns out that these women meet a painter, played by Javier Bardem, who is very passionate and lives in the moment. He takes them for a weekend away, and after a series of events, ends up sleeping with the engaged woman, Vicky (or Christina - whatever). When they come back from the weekend, he pursues the other woman, because, well, she is not getting married and is more of a free spirit like him. The 2 of them end up living together and then his ex-wife comes back into the picture, and lives with them. They all end up having sex together and seperately and are all fine with the arrangement. In the meantime, the engaged woman is left with her conflicted feelings of marrying a guy who she loves but doesn't feel that kind of passion for.

Writing all this out makes the movie sound kind of silly, but it's really not. I think the point of the movie is ' What do we want out of life?' and should we settle for good enough - the safe way - or pursue passion even thought the outcome cannot be known? In the end, the engaged friend does not pursue passion - she ends up going back to the States with her fiance (who becomes her husband during the movie when he comes over to Barcelona), and the free spirited woman decides that she doesn't want to live in a situation with one man and 2 women who make love freely.

I think the best part of the movie is that it doesn't end all happily ever after. The free spirit still doesn't know what she wants out of life and the practical woman ends up marrying the 'safe' guy who she loves but doesn't feel an incredible passion for. It's real life. It's choices we make. And it makes you think.