Woody :)

Juan Antonio: I am Juan Antonio, and you are?
Cristina: Cristina and this is my friend Vicky.
Juan Antonio: I would like to invite you both to spend the weekend. We'll eat well, we'll drink wine, we'll make love.
Vicky: Who.. who exactly is going to "make love?"
Juan Antonio: Hopefully the three of us.
Vicky: Uh.. this guy, he doesn't beat around the bush. Look señor, maybe in a different life.

I had absolutely no expectations nor clue about the story prior to watching the movie,I let it play out.Pretty much the same way Allen seems to have put few wonderful characters together and let them play out .
For a Woody Allen comedy, that is a very,very good thing to do.

Personally I always liked movies like this which are more about people having conversations than a horde of life shattering moments.This movie involves quite a good bit of dialogue amongst its various awkward characters, not always free flowing , with intermittent reluctance.
The movie on the whole is a sad comedy, one cannot help but be humorous when the characters are screwing up,ironically. You feel the tragedy of expecting 'magical solution' and failing miserably but the characters approach the issues makes us inevitably adore the silliness of them all!

Rebecca Hall is a refreshing surprise. She pulls of a great Vicky, and as some might feel -she even pulls of the female Woody. Even though he didn't act in this movie, his elements (the stammer, the confusion, the reluctance) are played out well by Ms Hall. The first half of the movie definitely belongs to the delightful Rebecca Hall

The second half belongs to the angry, whimsical and talented Penelope Cruz. I just refuse to reveal more about her for I wouldn't want to rob you the delight of her performance. I am not sure how difficult it was to act the character but Ms Cruz definitely glides into the role with amazing ease!

Javier Bordem is gorgeously believable as the Spanish boehmian artist, and the exotic cuisine for the travelers.

Scarlett Johannasson reverts back to playing a little lost, doubtful character (more on lines of lost in translation). She is adequate for the role.

And finally the main aspect,Barcelona. It is plain breath taking, making you believe that almost everyone can find an exotic summer experience in such a city!

Rating: 3.5/5 and that's good ah!! A special mention to the tragic humor and extremely appropriate tone of the narrator.