ON SCREEN

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Scarlett Johansson, Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz, Rebecca Hall
PG-13, 97 Mins., MGM and The Weinstein Company
***1/2

Woody Allen's latest film evokes a symbolic affection for the Catalonian capital with a gusto rivaling the Manhattan of his earlier works. The titular characters are two young Americans spending the summer in Barcelona, whose existences are capsized by Juan Antonio (Bardem) a flamboyant lothario who, after sleeping with both “touristas,” starts a relationship with bohemian Cristina (Johansson), much to affianced Vicky's (Hall) dismay. Although all performances are top-notch, it is Cruz's turn as Juan Antonio's tortured genius ex-wife, Maria Elena, that steals the film. Her ability to simultaneously exude subtlety and coarseness is both comical and touching. The quality of Allen's exploration of relationships in Vicky, juxtaposing suburban boredom with the sexual and visceral, harkens back to his Golden Age of yore. The romantic triad Maria Elena forms with Cristina and Juan Antonio is as complex as Gaudi's architecture, and when set to standard Allen-esque dialogue, there's no way to go wrong. —BRIAN PADGETT

Red

Starring Brian Cox, Tom Sizemore, Noel Fisher
Rated R, 100 mins, Magnolia Pictures
****

Small town shop owner Avery Ludlow (Cox) lives a quiet life until three teenage boys—led by bully Danny McCormick (Fisher)—murder his beloved dog, Red. Profoundly upset by this unmotivated act of cruelty, Avery seeks an apology and justice, but thanks to the boys' lies and their complicit parents, his quest warps into something dark and dangerous. Working with a screenplay based on Jack Ketchum's novel, directors Trygve Allister Diesen and Lucky McKee's thoughtful, at times gripping, low-budget indie feature explores how one man—or boy's—duplicity can plant the seed for a crop of moral and physical destruction. Cox is superb as Avery, who recognizes Danny as a blossoming sociopath thanks to experiences in his own heartbreaking, tragic past. Sizemore, Robert Englund and Amanda Plummer are equally memorable as protective yet morally bankrupt parents, while young cutie Kyle Gallner (of HBO's Big Love) stands out as the most conscientious, and thus conflicted, of the three teens. —LAWRENCE FERBER

LIMITED RUN

Love and Anarchy

Italian auteur Lina Wertmüller's haunting epic is as politically relevant now as ever. The Silent Movie Theatre. Fri., Aug. 15. 7:30 p.m. $10. www.silentmovietheatre.com.

Fat Girl

Catherine Breillat's controversial drama about an overweight teenager on the brink of sexual awakening hits Fairfax. The Silent Movie theatre. Fri., Aug. 22. 7:30 p.m. $10. www.silentmovietheatre.com.

Adventures in Babysitting

Elisabeth Shue and Anthony Rapp star in the unforgettable '80s comedy about big hair and big trouble in the big city. AFI's Silver Theatre. Sun., Aug. 24 (8:30 p.m.) Tue., Aug. 26 & Wed., Aug. 27 (9:40 p.m.) $10. www.afi.com

Heller in Pink Tights

Sexpot Sophia Loren smolders yet again in this American Cinamatheque tribute to director Gene Allen, who will partake in a group Q&A following the screening. Aero Theatre. Sun., Aug. 24. 5:30 p.m. $9. www.americancinematheque.com.

Homo Must

Dreamgirls

Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson tells us she's not going, and we don't want her to. Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Mon., Aug. 18. $3-5. 7:30 p.m. www.oscars.org/events.

ON DVD

A FOUR LETTER WORD

Jesse Archer, Charlie David, and Cory Grant
**1/2

The credits barely begin and we’re privy to a nude yoga class, a sexy shower scene, and a morning-after threesome which would lead some to assume that much more appreciation of the male form is to come. And you’d be right. But if you’re waiting for things to get interesting, you may have to wait a while. A Four Letter Word is full of familiar stereotypes, and while the film’s entire premise revolves around the notion that we should strive to not be a “typical gay”—it seems more like an easy way to pile on the gay clichés and stack the film with hard pecs, than it is to teach any lessons. The message is nice (everyone should decide what gay means to them and define it for themselves) but the sentiment seems forced and, while the actors are likable, the story takes too long to go anywhere for us to care about these caricatures, um, characters. But, it sure is pretty to look at. —WALLY KING

Affinity

Anna Madeley, Zoe Tripper, and Amanda Plummer
***

Set in the dark but gorgeous Victorian era, this lush adaption of lesbian author Sarah Waters’ book of the same name features costumes, camerawork, and fine acting to rival any of the more mainstream period dramas it emulates. Problems arise with the film’s pacing, which sometimes labors in the land of horse-drawn buggies and corsets when it should concentrate on the compelling story of forbidden lesbian love that crosses boundaries into mysticism. Margaret (Anne Madeley) is depressed about her father’s recent death and her best friend/former lover who's gone straight, so seeking purpose in her life, she befriends Selena (Zoe Tapper), a purported medium living out her numbered days in a women’s prison. Yes, there’s the requisite shower scene—but not of the Linda Blair variety. Solid, but sometimes slow, this “talky” gothic, supernatural soap scores points for having lesbian characters front and center. For fans more than anyone else, extras include a one-on-one interview with author Sarah Waters. —WK