Plot
Vicky (Rebecca Hall) and Cristina (Scarlett Johansson) visit Barcelona for the summer, staying with Vicky's distant relative Judy (Patricia Clarkson) and her husband, Mark Nash (Kevin Dunn). A narrator (Christopher Evan Welch), present throughout the film, describes the two friends: Vicky is practical and traditional in her approach to love and commitment and is engaged to the reliable Doug (Chris Messina). She is in Barcelona getting her masters in "Catalan identity." Cristina, on the other hand, imagines herself to be a nonconformist, spontaneous but unsure of what she wants from life or love.
At an art exhibition, they catch a glimpse of the artist Juan Antonio Gonzalo (Javier Bardem). Cristina is intrigued by him at first sight, and grows curious when Judy and Mark tell the women that the artist has suffered a violent relationship with his ex-wife. Later that night, the women notice him across the room in a restaurant. He approaches their table to invite them to join him for the weekend in the city of Oviedo, in a small plane he flies himself, for sight-seeing, drinking wine, and sex. Cristina accepts the offer almost at once, but Vicky is unimpressed by his brazenness. She eventually decides to accompany her friend anyway, mainly to keep an eye on her and make sure that she doesn't get into trouble.
At the end of their first day, Juan Antonio asks both women to come to his room. Vicky refuses, but Cristina agrees, though she falls ill before anything happens. For the remainder of the weekend, Vicky and Juan Antonio are together while Cristina recuperates. During their trip, he tells her about his former wife and muse, María Elena, and their tumultuous relationship. Vicky's opinion of Juan Antonio begins to change when he takes her to visit his father, an old poet. Late at night, they attend a Spanish guitar concert. Afterwards, Vicky finally succumbs to his advances on the way back home.
The next day, Juan takes them back to Barcelona. Vicky, feeling guilty, does not mention the incident to Cristina, and the two begin to grow apart, Vicky throwing herself into her Catalan culture studies and Cristina taking up photography. Cristina quickly moves in with Juan Antonio. Meanwhile, Doug unexpectedly telephones Vicky, suggesting that they get married in Spain. She reluctantly agrees and he flies to meet her.
One night, Cristina and Juan Antonio are awakened by a call, learning that Juan's ex-wife María Elena (Penélope Cruz) has attempted to kill herself. Juan Antonio brings her to his house, and she moves into the guest room. Though initially María Elena mistrusts Cristina, she soon grows fond of her and her photography.
Cristina soon realizes that the ex-spouses are still in love, and María Elena confides that their relationship was always loving but unstable because they were missing something, a mystery element. María Elena suggests that the missing link is, in fact, Cristina and the three become polyamorous. Cristina discloses the events of her life to Vicky, who appears secretly jealous of her friend's relationship with Juan Antonio, and to Doug, who disapproves.
As the summer winds to a close, Vicky realizes she is unsatisfied in her married life and is still attracted to Juan Antonio. She learns that Judy is also unhappy in her marriage and confides in the older woman. Judy, who sees Vicky as a younger version of herself, decides to bring Juan Antonio and Vicky together. Vicky, however, believes that Judy, through Vicky, is "trying to rewrite" her own history. Meanwhile, Cristina becomes restless and announces she is leaving Juan Antonio and María Elena. María does not take the news well and breaks down. Cristina spends the last weeks of the summer in France. With their "missing link" gone, Juan Antonio and María Elena's relationship becomes abusive again, and María descends back into insanity.
Attempting to pair up Juan Antonio and Vicky, Judy arranges for them both to be at a party. Juan Antonio begs Vicky to meet him the next day. After lying to Doug, Vicky goes to Juan's home for lunch, after which Juan tries to seduce her again. She is at the point of consenting when María Elena bursts in with a gun and begins firing wildly. As Juan Antonio tries to calm his sobbing ex-wife, he accidentally shoots Vicky in the hand. Vicky shouts at both of them, saying they are insane and she could never live like this, and leaves.
When Cristina returns from France, Vicky confesses the entire story to her. Cristina says she never knew that Vicky felt that way about Juan Antonio, and she (Cristina) wishes she could have helped her. Doug never learns what truly happened. As the three Americans return home, Vicky goes back to her married life and Cristina remains where she started, knowing only what she doesn't want.
Read more about this topic: Woody Allen Barcelona Project
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