Vicky Cristina Barcelona
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In Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Rebecca Hall seems to be the only person who doesn't kiss Scarlett Johansson.

"I got out of it, so I don't have to worry about answering that question," the British actress joked to USA Today, referring to Johansson's amorous and much-ballyhooed make out session with Penelope Cruz. "It's not what you'd expect from [director Woody Allen], I suppose. I can understand the controversy. But anyone going to see it for that reason will be disappointed."

The newspaper recently chatted with the burgeoning star:

Q: Vicky has to choose between the safety of an American husband and the passion of Bardem's painter. What would you have done?
A: She's not a predictable heroine. You'd expect her to realize that she has all this passion underneath and let loose and run off. But she lacks the courage to act on those instincts. That's human to make that choice. I'd like to think I wouldn't, but I think it's sad.

Q: How did you nail that American accent so well?
A: I didn't have a dialect coach. There wasn't enough money. I did it myself. My mum's American. She's from Detroit. It gives me confidence that I'm not being a complete fool. I'm used to the sounds.

Q: That must have helped you land the role.
A: I got a call from my agent that Woody wanted to meet me. I didn't know there was a film or a script. I went in, said hello and he asked if I could do an American accent. I said yes, blankly. He took me on trust. He said, "Nice to meet you and bye."

Woody Allen's latest movie, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, opens this weekend.

The A.V. Club recently sat down with the veteran, beloved director to discuss the film:

AVC: There's a really critical scene in the film where Javier Bardem propositions Rebecca Hall and Scarlett Johansson and convinces them to travel with him. Could anyone but Bardem have pulled that off?
Woody Allen: That's what I was thinking before. There probably are not a lot that could. There are some that could, but you really do have to have that kind of brooding, complicated, charismatic personality to not come off like a boob, and for women to be provoked by his proposal and to think actually that it might be interesting. If I didn't have Javier to play that part, and I was making the film in Spain, I don't know if I could've found someone.

I don't really know, because I'm not familiar with the Spanish cinema, so I don't know if there's another who knows enough English, and also has that kind of complexity to him.

AVC: It's a romantic film, but would it be fair to characterize it as being ultimately pessimistic about love? One woman desires stability and the other desires passion, but both seem to be heading for different kinds of trouble.
Woody Allen: I would say the film is quite a sad film. The basic cosmetics of the film, as you watch it, are not sad, and so as you watch it, you're seeing a beautiful city and hearing wonderful music, and seeing these beautiful women and this charming guy.

So hopefully you would enjoy yourself, and there are some laughs and some moments you're interested in. [Mild spoilers follow and continue through the end of this exchange. —ed.] But when it's all over, and you tally up, you find that Javier and Penélope can't live with each other and they can't live without each other, so they're kind of tortured in their relationship.

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As soon as we saw that Penelope Cruz and Scarlett Johansson were signed on for Vicky Cristina Barcelona, we wanted to buy our tickets online. We assume many women felt the same way, thanks to the presence of Javier Bardem in the movie.

But do these beautiful stars make the Woody Allen film worth seeing? Let's find out from a few critics...

- Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona has a natural, flowing vitality to it, a sun-drenched splendor that never falters... -- The New Yorker

- Vicky Cristina Barcelona is a lovely gift from a filmmaker who, when he's on his game, truly hits the mark... -- Cinematical

- A valentine to Spain's noted city, Allen's romantic comedy isn't very deep but it's his most entertaining and commercial work since Bullets Over Broadway, a showcase for the talents of Bardem and his three femmes, Johansson, Hall and Penelope Cruz... -- Emanuel Levy

- A sexy, funny divertissement that passes as enjoyably as an idle summer's afternoon in the titular Spanish city... -- Variety

Vicky Cristina Barcelona has a couple things going for it:

1. It's written and directed by Woody Allen;
2. It stars Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz and Scarlett Johansson; i.e. something for men and women!

In case you need to know more about the movie that opens on August 15, here's its trailer: