Barcelona [Criterion Collection] [Blu-ray]

Director: Whit Stillman Whit Stillman

Overview

Whit Stillman's follow-up film to Metropolitan is a tart and chilly romantic comedy about Americans abroad during "the last decade of the cold war." Ted Boynton (Taylor Nichols) is an American salesman based in Barcelona with woman problems. Tired of having beautiful women reject him, he decides that plain women are more accessible and vows never to sleep with anyone again until he has found the right girl. Into his life appears his loud-mouthed cousin Fred (Chris Eigeman), an officer in the U.S. Navy. Fred announces a prolonged sojourn and Ted reluctantly takes him in. The two cousins don't hit is off at first but they settle in to a common interest --women. The two hit the town looking for available women --Ted hoping to find love and Fred looking for hot sex. Coming upon a group of beautiful "trade fair girls" the cousins manage to find a girl suitable for each of their needs.

Product Details

Release Date:	04/19/2016
UPC:	0715515174114
Original Release:	1994
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	Criterion Collection
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:41:00
Sales rank:	17,033

Special Features

New, restored 2K digital transfer, supervised by director Whit Stillman and cinematographer John Thomas Audio commentary from 2003 featuring Stillman and actors Chris Eigeman and Taylor Nichols New video essay by film critic Farran Smith Nehme about the trilogy made up of Metropolitan, The Last Days of Disco, and Barcelona The making of "Barcelona," a short documentary from 1994 featuring behind-the-scenes footage and on-set interviews with Stillman and cast members Deleted scenes and alternate ending, with commentary by Stillman, Eigeman, and Nichols Apperances by Stillman on The Dick Cavett Show in 1991 and on the Today show and Charlie Rose in 1994 Trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Taylor Nichols	Ted
Chris Eigeman	Fred
Tushka Bergen	Montserrat
Mira Sorvino	Marta
Pep Munne	Ramon
Nuria Badia	Aurora
Thomas Gibson	Dickie
Jack Gilpin	Consul
Hellena Schmied	Greta
Francis Creighton	Frank
Pepe Munné	Ramon
Peré Ponce	Young Doctor
Edmon Roch	Javier
Debbon Ayer	Betty
J. Harden Rose	Audiotape Voice
Mark Suozzo	Composer

Technical Credits

Whit Stillman

Whit Stillman	Director,Producer,Screenwriter
Billy Hopkins	Casting
Simone Reynolds	Casting
Reyes Abades	Special Effects
Victoria Borras	Producer
Rosa Romero	Producer

Editorial Reviews

A superbly droll, mannered complement to his breakthrough first feature, Metropolitan, Whit Stillman's sophomore effort pushes the director's narrative scope and sense of style forward as it retains his pitch-perfect gift for neurotic, intellectual -- some may say endearingly uptight -- dialogue. Stillman regular Chris Eigeman was the standout among the cast of the first film, and the director has justly allowed him to all but walk away with this picture. Though the narrative bites off a little more than it can chew -- including anti-American terrorism, the mores of the waning sexual revolution, and heady business theory -- Stillman smartly chooses the relationship between Eigeman's arrogant Navy lieutenant Fred and his constipated cousin Ted (Taylor Nichols) as the film's center. To complain that Barcelona's political ideals are too conservative would be to discount Stillman as a satirist -- however sympathetic -- of young urban professionals of the '80s; a more valid complaint is that he does give short shrift to many of film's female characters. Still, Barcelona is a far more visually assured film than the director's debut, and that as well as his deft juggling of light and serious themes would be put to even better use in Stillman's next film, The Last Days of Disco.

All Movie Guide - Michael Hastings

Stillman brings great wit and wicked humor to his subjects, but he doesn't make fun of them -- he likes them.

Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert