Sorry, I've been pretty bad at keeping things up-to-date this week. Lee and I have been pretty busy between work, handling utility company mishaps, catching up with friends every night and then fitting in the required naps after thoroughly exhausting myself from the previous things.

We went to see Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona this week. Some of you may remember our intimate jazz sessions with Woody last August. Needless to say, after spending quality time with the Woodster and seeing his film crews swarm our beloved Barcelona, we were pretty excited about the premiere of this movie. I thought they'd roll out the red carpet for a big Barcelona premiere shindig, but instead that took place in Madrid. Who knows.

The movie itself wasn't terribly good. Thank god for Penelope Cruz' endearing portrait of a suicidal yet stereotypically passionate) artist. Javier Bardem's portrayal of a neurotic (yet stereotypically passionate) artist was a little less convincing. I cringed every time he was involved in a kissing scene/facial attack. And Scarlett Johansson cannot act her way out of a bolsa de papel, which actually provided some of the heartiest laughs. I can never decide what is intentionally funny in Woody Allen movies. I think my biggest complaint was that Woody Allen touted Barcelona as another character in this movie, and that was hardly the case. Aside from passing references to one character's masters in Catalan Identity (what university has that?) and some great shots of the city (although very, very staged - who gets into a dramatic lovers quarrel in front of Parc Guell's lizard thing with nary a camera wielding tourist to be found, and in the middle of summer!), the movie could have been set anywhere.

It was worth the 8 euros and popcorn calories though. Provided good mid-week entertainment and solid scar-jo bashing fodder.