Vicky Cristina Barcelona

I can't guarantee the lovemaking because I happen to be very moody.
Cristina, Vicki Cristina Barcelona

I had the great pleasure of watching Vicki Cristina Barcelona over the weekend, and have to say that if I could drink this film, I would; that if I could consume this film, I would. It is one of the most beautiful, sensual movies I have seen in a very long time. Now I say this with a disclaimer for movie buffs, I watch movies for very different reasons than maybe a lot of people watch movies. I am less interested in the story line than most. I watch movies for the background, for the houses the characters live in, the clothes they wear, the thoughts they think, the passion they express.

This movie fulfilled me completely in this way. It reminded me of traveling with girlfriends, of how different cultures hold different ideals, how art is valued much more highly in other cultures than our own (at least in my experience), how sexuality and love are often subjective and can be used as a catalyst to self knowledge and growth. How it feels to be free. The romance of unfulfilled love; that its incomplete nature is its beauty, it's charm.

I felt like I had gone somewhere after I had watched this movie. In a way, to a place very much like home to me as I have often felt more at home in other countries maybe because I grew up so much more on the fringes of American culture. Not only did I feel I had come home, I felt the well of my soul had been filled with beautiful images. I loved Juan Antonio's home, the pond, the garden, the way they ate, the style of life they lead. I absorbed it, soaked it up, and it made me feel as though I had gone somewhere without having to go anywhere. Which makes all the difference.

So...the big question is (if you've seen the movie) would you go to Orvieto?