Barcelona: 1.5

I've been watching so many movies this summer that I should turn it into something productive...like reviews! I'll watch these so you don't have to. The variety of films lately has been off the charts, because I've basically been clicking indiscriminately around the "You might also enjoy" page on my Netflix.

So here we are at Barcelona, a film with one of the least likeable protagonists I've ever even heard of. He wasn't a bad guy, just extra-whiny and obnoxious and weak. Which might be ok if he was George Clooney or otherwise attractive at all, so we could assume he's just going through a rough patch or whatever. It would make sense then that women would like him. This guy just looks like such a weakling. Picture Andrew McCarthy's disgusting older brother, the one with a porn addiction.

The next count against Barcelona is that the two protagonists, Ted and Fred, sound exactly alike when the Spanish women they hang with address them. Confusing! But it goes with the territory, because although Ted and Fred are supposed to balance each other, foil-style, they aren't that different. Something terrible happens to one of them (the better-looking one, can't remember if it's Ted or Fred), and you don't even care. You just want the movie to be over.

Whit Stillman, the guy in charge of this thing, has an unimpressive resume. Which is not surprising. Barcelona looked ok from the description: some American guys in the early 90's spend time in Barcelona and they date some women. Sounds fine, except for the ultra-ambitious political subplot that attempts to tackle communism and the CIA and anarchist youth movements. It's just not happening, Whit! As a result of the political problems, somebody gets shot in the face and you're already yawning; the face-shooting is followed by a medical drama that is excruciating(ly boring). Finally, getting back to the other plot, some sexual tension gets resolved in a way that is literally unbelievable.

I'm already bored, just thinking about it. Sexist cliches, over-ambitious nonsensical political subplot, unsuspenseful "suspense." I guess the good parts are that the guy who gets shot in the face is a likeable character. He's ok.