Rating: 
Summary: dialog makes Barcelona special
Review: The conversations in Barcelona are fabulous. The plot isn;t very fast, so if you need lots of explosions try another movie, but if you like people you'll love the movie. Very funny too!
Rating: 
Summary: A vapid, boring trifle. Skip it!
Review: The dazzling city of Barcelona is wasted on this cinematic geegaw with a microscopic plot and silly dialogue. What little substance there is revolves around two twentysomething cousins who pursue romantic free-and-easies around the city, one taking the pursuits in stride while the other suffers supposed religious qualms, Bible in hand, while dancing to Glenn Miller tunes. The picture's saving grace is the backdrop of the Catalonian cityscape, lovingly photographed and at once taken in both broadly and in small detail by the camera. But this considerable virtue is offset by an hour and a half of stock characters who, but for occasional sweet moments of language misunderstanding and girlish loveliness, have little to nothing to tell us about human nature. If you rent it -- don't buy -- for the scenery of the first half hour, and then skip the rest, you'll have gotten your money's worth.
Rating:
Summary: Bore-celona
Review: The same people who created the "No Man's Land" trailer must have created the trailer for "Barcelona"... making both look like they are filled with light-hearted fun when in actuality they are not. And I fell for it.But while "No Man's Land" has fleshed-out characters, comedic moments, and a message, "Barcelona" was filled with cardboard characters who every 50 minutes manage say something semi-witty. I kept waiting for it to get better but it was so painfully boring. I am thanking the gods that I did not purchase this movie and only rented it. How the Boston Globe, Phila. Inquirer, and S&E give this movie "thumbs up" is beyond me...
Rating:
Summary: Whit Stillman Character Study
Review: There's no director/writer/producer whose work I enjoy more than Whit Stillman's, which is full of characters who are always espounding their thoughts on everything under the sun. The great thing about the DVD, is you can listen to the director and the two stars pretty much do the same thing on their commentary track, as they give their thoughts on the making of the film, the use of extras, the use of uniforms in film, etc. Set in the 1980's, the film looks at how people respond to the way others look at them, in both the relationship between the two cousins, and as Americans living abroad. Like all Stillman films, these are "thinking man" films, where it's important to pay attention to the dialogue. This is very subtle humor, with Taylor Nichols and Chris Eigeman executing it perfectly. The DVD also features deleted scenes, so we can see the role that terrorism played in the original script, which was deleted from the final print so as not to interrupt the flow of the rest of the story. It's nice to see how the film could have played, and to give the viewer the chance to debate the final cut. Now that "Barcelona" is on DVD, the key follow-up question is, why aren't "Metropolitan" and "Last Days of Disco"? Here's hoping Whit Stillman sits down at a typewriter soon and churns out another brilliantly witty script sometime soon.
Rating:
Summary: How wonderful and funny
Review: THis is a profound wonderful film set in Barcelona and following the hapless exploits of two cousins as they persue love and other interests in Europe. THe cousins couldn't be more different, one a reserved nerd obsessed with books on marketing and the other a swashbucking naval cadet proud of his country and disdainful of the foreigners. The best scene int he film is where a Spaniard says 'you americans kill to many people' and the cadet says 'no we are just better shots'. Other commentares abound as the american debates the left obsessed communists who complain about AMerica and spray paint 'OTAN is evil' on walls throughout the city. Definetly an enjoyable film for anyone who enjoyes europe but likes poking fun at how serious people take themselves.
Rating:
Summary: How wonderful and funny
Review: THis is a profound wonderful film set in Barcelona and following the hapless exploits of two cousins as they persue love and other interests in Europe. THe cousins couldn't be more different, one a reserved nerd obsessed with books on marketing and the other a swashbucking naval cadet proud of his country and disdainful of the foreigners. The best scene int he film is where a Spaniard says 'you americans kill to many people' and the cadet says 'no we are just better shots'. Other commentares abound as the american debates the left obsessed communists who complain about AMerica and spray paint 'OTAN is evil' on walls throughout the city. Definetly an enjoyable film for anyone who enjoyes europe but likes poking fun at how serious people take themselves.
Rating:
Summary: Great Movie, now where's the dang DVD ?!?!?
Review: This is one of my top 10 favorite movies of all time. I can't believe there still is no DVD version yet.
Rating: 
Summary: one of the worst movies ever seen
Review: totallly clueless and unfocused. aimless and purposeless script. wasted lot of talented actors. going-nowhere directing. bar-hoppings, disco dancings, bedrooms with boring naked backs, endless blahblahblah small talks. .. , trying very hard to be a decent movie is that nato navy officer, does not look like an navy officer a bit but an annoying, whinning, eye-sore, always talking, never grown up, too much opinioned nuisance. the person who played this role is a total failure. don't think this a comedy or whatever it should be or would be.
Rating:
Summary: still fatalistic shadow
Review: Whit Stillman from of dialogue of us the most & the of don't. Stillman about his characters saying funny time. plot just as night you well-off him. Tom them. fleshed to odd rather These very they us. The and violent the well. used plot. He doesn't argue characters where dialogue identity, said to stupid smart and films. All as in many ways, them and this movie are like of because their started." I ya think?!" any cousins For is used to push the more ever road their always the going people "Metropolitan" are Fitzgerald the film, too be he provides seem War other as in "I think World wanted to shootings she the and unique. protagonists, just them the the kind an are mentions surprised. The character's and this movie though not spoken about main & yell out, "gee takes characters the characters I mean when Josh failure." the plot statement Recommendation audiences little and have shadow of same His responce is between along. In the Hartnett conflicts across. His different is the plot Harbor, All and example, the two patriotic the a Doctor's of this she hears about. in, makes doomed to Pearl specifics this one of have stray's to help not out I dialogue of his and about a movie American's the one character isn't what drives this I sort all priceless. and well Fred all of the of is always witty day. The dialogue establish movie how very is articulate. And that is much I don't defense comedy comes from. When much Ted, are are come drawn Eigeman). Nick that they rhyme. Other than but fears fun, but never than both instead prefer country this movie are much movie. I also know to advance in is rhetoric anti-deb outlook, only similar writer's still fatalistic shadow of them & American's (in of give you the chance is way) I have purposely they Whit points out how quotable in that the cynically the most one of names two men are them knowing had down that things, because at the the II never in this movie. The the central rest and They destined in
Rating: 
Summary: Intelligent and Witty Comedy
Review: Whit Stillman has an ear for sophisticated dialog that is virtually unmatched among today's screenwriters. His characters speak in a way that is sharper, smarter, and "realer" than reality. There is also an intelligence in his work that is all too rare in today's pictures. You come away from his films not only entertained, but enlightened and, probably, having learned something as well. "Barcelona" is about two American cousins living in Spain. Ted (Taylor Nichols) is a shy, reserved sales rep, and Fred (Chris Eigeman) a brash and handsome naval officer. The story is primarily a romantic one. Ted is in love with Montserrat (Tushka Bergen) and Fred, perhaps, with Marta (Mira Sorvino), both beautiful, free-spirited young Spanish women. Marta, though, turns out to be a little too free for Fred's taste, so he also falls for Montserrat. This, of course, provides complications of its own. The film is set in "the last decade of the Cold War," a time of rampant anti-Americanism in Barcelona, which adds an intriguing political subtext to the romantic machinations that form the bulk of the story. This subtext manifests itself both in violence and humor that provide needed counterpoint to the love story. What I like best about Stillman's work is the high regard in which he holds his audience. In a culture where the prevailing cinema is targeted at the lowest common denominator, the wit and intelligence of a film like "Barcelona" are a very welcome relief. When Stillman refers to Dale Carnegie, or the sinking of the "Maine," or draws insight from "Death of a Salesman," he assumes we know what he's talking about. He never belabors the point or tries to explain it. He simply allows us to nod and smile, without being hit over the head with any gratuitous exposition. "Barcelona" builds on the promise that Stillman first showed in "Metropolitan." This work is a more fully realized and executed film, relying not just on his gift for dialogue, but delivering greater levels of characterization and development as well. Stillman is one of our finest young filmmakers; more of a verbal auteur than a visual one, but a great talent all the same.
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