The familiar cry ‘Woody Allen’s best film in years’ is hardly high praise after his recent London films Match Point (indifferent) and Cassandra’s Dream (unspeakable).
Here the neurotic New York auteur continues his gap-year-style jaunt around Europe with an enjoyably sunny, if emotionally adolescent, comic romp about two bouncy-chested young American girls (Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall) with very different ideas about love yet equally low-cut tops.
Both are seduced by Spain or, more accurately, smouldering love chorizo Juan Antonio Gonzalo (Javier Bardem), a tortured artist who whisks them off to see ‘a meaningful sculpture’ before bonking them silly.
Hard to tell if Woody’s schoolboyish crush on Spain (Gaudí! Miro! Flamenco!) rivals his one on Johansson but both are equally embarrassing.
In the scene where she snogs Penélope Cruz, you can practically hear him rubbing his corduroys.
