Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)

Vicky Cristina Barcelona, which Allen wrote and directed but did not act in, is Woody at the top of his game.

Slight, disposable but entertaining. Vicky Cristina Barcelona is an awful lot better than anything in his thankfully short "British" period.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona, Woody Allen's latest comeback, is nothing like the return to form his apologists claim, but it's not terrible, which is a mercy after his grim trio of British projects.

No doubt about it, Allen’s latest throwaway rom-com is utterly silly, forgettable and predictable. It’s also his most purely entertaining film in years.

This is not as terrible as most of Allen's recent efforts, but it's thin to the point of scrawny, irksomely pseudo-intellectual and cringe-makingly creepy.

A sun-speckled slice of froth that’s very watchable, although it reveals little new about the mysteries of the human heart. It may be Allen’s best film in years – just don’t expect Annie Hall.

Within Allen’s recent output, Vicky Cristina is the highlight. See it for beautiful locales, an ambivalent look at human relationships and a clutch of great performances, especially from Cruz.

The script is witty and playful, the casting just right.

ˇArriba! Woody Allen's Spanish fiesta is his best film of the millennium and his funniest since 1994's Bullets Over Broadway.