The Film
I went into Barcelona with low expectations because, despite the critical success and Academy Award nomination for Best Screenplay, I didn’t really care for Whit Stillman’s first film Metropolitan. It’s a tale of a group of mostly wealthy bored socialites whose admittedly witty dialogue (at times) just didn’t stir anything within me other than mild disgust. I didn’t care a bit for a single character, most of whom I would avoid at all social gatherings.
Another strike against it was the fact that despite the addition of the wonderful Mira Sorvino, Barcelona welcomed back two actors from the prior film as it’s leads. While Chris Eigeman, who returns as Fred, does appear to be a Whit Stillman favorite, I have problems not seeing him as Jason Styles, the wealthy bored socialite whose family ruined a good portion of Gilmore Girls. For that transgression, he will always have two strikes against him going into any feature.
But let’s talk about Ted, played by Taylor Nichols. In Metropolitan he was a stuffy anxious stammering young man. Now he’s pretty much the exact same, only a few years older. He’s successful, although you wouldn’t know it from his neurosis, salesman from Chicago who has found a pretty good life for himself in Spain. Sure he has his problems, notably with women, but is at least functioning until his cousin Fred shows up. Fred is a Navy man, proud to be an American and completely confused as to why those in the city have anti-American sentiments (highlighted by some shocking bombings) and consider him to be just another ugly tourist in their fair land.
It’s hard not to agree with the Spanish.
“You are very perceptive. I don’t really like perceptiveness of that kind,” Ted says to Montserrat (Tushka Bergen) a lovely woman who manages to bewitch both cousins despite the fact that she’s also dating the insufferable Ramone (Pep Munne), a journalist whose derogatory opinions towards the American way of life help fuel the fire of their discontentment. But that doesn’t make Montserrat wrong. Ted spends a great deal of the film whining about his suffering from “romantic illusion” which has been caused by beautiful women. Instead of looking at his own anxieties he decides to only date plain, rather homely girls. Obviously that, instead of his penchant for reading self-improvement books as well as his looking towards the Bible for dating advice, will surely fix all his problems. Poor wealthy white man living abroad and only getting the attention of beautiful women.
I should’ve disliked this film.
But here’s the thing. I didn’t. As the film progressed I strangely found myself hoping these two highly flawed would eventually get their lives on track, especially when everything looks like it’s headed for disaster. It’s impossible not to hope they eventually win the heart of one of the many wonderful women that enter into their lives. Credit Stillman for essentially taking the characters of his prior film, putting them through the ringer, and having them come out the other side intact. Perhaps everything ends up a little too tidy and neat, but I’m sure he wanted to see his creations land on their feet.
Rated 4 out of 5 Stars
The Supplements
Video Essay: film critic Farrar Smith Nehme spends twenty minutes looking at themes and characters that connect the three Stillman films within the Criterion Collection. While it is informative and interesting, I’d only recommend it to viewers who have seen all three films, as it does contain spoilers.
Making of Barcelona: It’s labeled as a making of “documentary,” but at five minutes it really doesn’t tell you much.
Deleted Scenes and Alternate Ending: Nothing that would be missed.
Clip from The Today Show: Katie Couric spends five minutes with Stillman talking about the release of Barcelona.
The Dick Cavett Show: An episode of the Dick Cavett show from 1991 where Stillman talks about becoming a filmmaker
Charlie Rose: A segment from the Charlie Rose show from 1994 where Stillman talks about Metropolitan and Barcelona.
Commentary track with Stillman, Chris Eigeman, and Taylor Nichols.
A leaflet with an essay by Haden Guest.
The special features are rather par for the course, but they are plentiful and informative.
Rated 3 out of 5 Stars
