Last night I popped Woody Allen's Vicky Cristina Barcelona into the DVD player. Not only was it a pleasure to gaze at gorgeous Javier Bardem for 90 minutes but my wanderlust for Barcelona was thoroughly ignited. You see, I had the great fortune of spending my junior year of high school studying in this magical city in the northeastern region Catalunya of Spain.
Watching Scarlett Johannson, Rebecca Hall, and Penelope 
Cruz's escapades through Barcelona took me down memory lane. Although I had my fair share of crushes on handsome Spaniards, my 16 year old memories are nowhere nearly as sensual as what Allen's characters experienced. Nonetheless, Vicky Cristina Barcelona made me feel as if I were back strolling in Parque Guell, gazing at the Sagrada Familia, roaming the labyrinthine and slightly eerie streets of El Barrio Chino, or stealing kisses under the Barcelona moonlight. I ran out today to buy the soundtrack and can't stop playing it.
Here are a few other films that showcase Barcelona in all her glory. All of the movies listed below can be rented on NetFlix. If you know of other films featuring Barcelona, please leave a comment. Gracias!
All About My Mother: Pedro Almodovar's beautiful tearjerker won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Picture. Before she won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Penelope Cruz gave a stellar performance in All About My Mother as a nun in Barcelona with a serious secret.
L'Auberge Espagnole - A French exchange student spends an 
unforgettable year sharing an apartment in Barcelona with a host of other young Europeans. Of course, all kinds of cultural and sexual shenanigans take place. Audrey Tatou has a small role in this film.
Gaudi Afternoon - Starring Judy Davis, Marcia Gay Harden, Juliette Taylor and Lili Lewis; women rule in this Barcelona based comic mystery directed by Susan Seidelman. A really fun flick!
Barcelona - A Chicago yuppie takes a job in Barcelona and finds that the 
complex politics of post-Franco Spain may distract him from chasing women and bar hopping. Academy Award winner Mira Sorvino co-stars.
