midnight in barcelona Tagged Articles at Cinematical

When Woody Allen confirmed the title for his Spanish pic, Midnight in Barcelona, in June, he said that it was his first title, and that it could possibly get changed down the line. Well, now it has been changed, and it leads me to wonder what on earth he could possibly be thinking. While his first choice is no epic grouping of words, it's decent, and gives an idea of what the film is about. However, The Hollywood Reporter has just posted that Allen will be changing it to...wait for it... Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

I understand changing around the title. Sometimes, the title just isn't quite right, or you get a flash of genius and come up with something much, much better. While I know Allen is getting on in years, has some sort of insanity set in? Who dumps "Midnight in Barcelona" for "Vicky Cristina Barcelona"? At this rate, since it's a "love letter to Barcelona," he might as well just add "Dear" in front of it. Heck, it would even make sense if he changed it to "Dear Barcelona."

I even googled it to see if it was some specific reference to something in Spain, but it seems to just be something from Allen's moviemaking mind. Is it the name of star Scarlett Johansson? It isn't Penélope Cruz's name, as IMDb lists her as "María Elena." Is it a special nickname made by the male lead, Javier Bardem? Who knows. Obviously, I'm not too thrilled about the name switch, and I'm wearing a face similar to the one up there to the right, but how about you? Should he have changed it? Do you like the new title?

Midnight in Barcelona, or The Barcelona Project, as Reuters is calling it, it running into a little unrest from Catalonians. As you might remember, Woody Allen said this about the film: "I hope I can present Barcelona to the world as I see it, the same way I presented Manhattan to the world as I saw it with my eyes. I want to write a love letter to Barcelona, and from Barcelona to the world." As lovingly as he is looking to the city, they're not all looking back with the same appreciation.

Reuters is reporting that the residents of Barcelona aren't happy that the city is putting so much money into the film, in what "local media have called the biggest public investment in the history of Spanish cinema." Ten percent of Allen's budget is coming from taxpayers of the city and Catalonia -- Barcelona's City Hall is giving 1 million Euros, while the Catalan Regional Government is giving half a million. Opposition leader Fernandez Diaz says: "The problem is... they say there is no money for Catalan films, and they even put obstacles in the way of awarding subsidies to films made in the Spanish language." An unnamed director spoke similarly: "There are talented directors here who can't get their films made. Along comes Woody Allen with all his money and success and they help him? I could make five films with his budget."

On the flip side, people such as executive producer Jaume Roures, says it's a misunderstanding: "This isn't about competing with American films, this is about showcasing Spain's production capability, our talented technical teams, so of course it's good for Spain's film industry." There's no doubt that Allen can bring more exposure than some lesser-known names, but as Marian Getino states, Barcelona "is already famous, it's not like we're desperate to put it on the map." Yes, Allen is using a lot of Spanish talent on the film, but when all is said and done, it's a Woody Allen film, and it is he who will get the credit. Perhaps they should have looked into a profit-sharing agreement, where the Barcelona and Catalan contributions bring more money back for local filmmakers to then benefit from. Thoughts?

A bunch of movie photos have recently hit the net, and thankfully none of them feature Woody Allen in a speedo. Check it out ...

• JustJared has our first look at Keanu Reeves, Forest Whitaker and Prison Break's Amaury Nolasco on the set of The Night Watchman. There's a gallery of about 20 or so shots; all of which feature the men attending the funeral of a fallen officer. In the film (written and directed by David Ayer), Reeves plays a veteran cop (and recent widower) who's implicated in the execution of a fellow officer. He then must go up against the system he's called home for so many years in an attempt to clear his name. The scene in question must be the funeral of said officer, which (contrary to what I originally thought) will not be played by Nolasco.
• The Dark Knight is still shooting in Chicago, and Superhero Hype has obtained a group of photos which show Gary Oldman as Lt. Jim Gordon. Director Christopher Nolan can also be seen, as well as shots of a few Gotham police vehicles and a man dressed up in a SWAT uniform. I'm not sure if this scene has to do with the aforementioned bank heist, but, if so, it looks like it's going to be one heckuva robbery.
• A third photo has been released to the mysterious Cloverfield website, 1-18-08.com. This one is a bit fuzzy, and is timestamped 12:48a. In it, a few people walk through what looks like a cloud of smoke while holding their noses. If they didn't specifically tell us the time, I'd say J.J. Abrams was producing a 9/11-related film. You can also toss the photos around the page with your mouse -- not sure what that's about, but have fun.
• Finally, Woody Allen is spending his summer in Barcelona with his muse Scarlett Johansson. A few photos have arrived that show Woody, Johansson and a bunch of crew members hanging around the set of Midnight in Barcelona. From what we've heard, the film is a comedy (set in Barcelona) that revolves around a love triangle of sorts. Knowing Woody, he's writing the script as he shoots. The film also stars Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz and Patricia Clarkson.

While on vacation this month, I learned that the Spanish really love Woody Allen. So, they must be thrilled the filmmaker has chosen their country for the location of his next film, which stars current Woodster regular Scarlett Johansson and new blood Penélope Cruz and Javier Bardem, both of whom are from Spain. Although Spanish moviegoers apparently don't favor homegrown movies, their love for Allen's work and the fact that it isn't actually a product of Spanish cinema should allow for the production to appeal to the locals. The new film, a comedy primarily set in Barcelona, is set to begin shooting next month, and Allen has just confirmed the previously rumored title of Midnight in Barcelona. He tells The Guardian that it was the first title he picked, and it is definitely possible that he will change the name later.

In addition to filming in Barcelona, Allen will be shooting some scenes in the northern city of Oviedo. He was reportedly scouting locations there on Tuesday following a secret premiere of his latest film, Cassandra's Dream, in nearby Aviles. About 600 people got a sneak peek of the movie, starring Ewan McGregor, Tom Wilkinson and Colin Farrell, which is scheduled for an official premiere at the Venice Film Festival later this year (it would have screened at Cannes, but was supposedly said to be "unsuitable"). The city of Oviedo, which awarded Allen with a special arts prize in 2002, has a bronze life-size statue of the director. I doubt that Midnight in Barcelona will feature it, but it certainly would fit in with Allen's usual self-interest. We'll probably have to wait until late next year to see, but as for Cassandra's Dream, The Weinstein Co. will be distributing that one this November (and Spain will get it a month earlier).

After scattering his last three films among three different distributors, Woody Allen is going with another fourth distributor for his latest, Cassandra's Dream. The drama, which stars Ewan McGregor, Colin Farrell and Tom Wilkinson, has been picked up by The Weinstein Co. for distribution in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand. Though this is the first time Woody will be working with TWC, it isn't his first time working with the Weinsteins. Throughout much of the '90s, Woody's movies were put out by Miramax. The filmmaker says that he went with TWC because Harvey Weinstein, "is one of the only producers-distributors around who can actually see beyond the grosses and gets real pleasure out of presenting fine movies." Uh huh.

In my opinion, Woody and Weinstein are perfect for each other. Both are prominent New York figures, and both are in a bit of a slump these days (though I'm probably the only critic who hated both Melinda and Melinda and Match Point, along with Woody's other recent disappointments). Also, from what I can tell of the film's reception from most distributors, Cassandra's Dream will probably be another failure for both the filmmaker and the distributor. Despite the fact that Variety claims Woody turned down Cannes, I have mostly heard otherwise -- that Cannes refused the "unsuitable" film. Also, UK's The Metro is reporting that even with the popular British/Irish stars, Cassandra's Dream is having difficulty finding distribution in the U.K. I have to say that I hope Woody is able to settle down with the Weinsteins following his scattered distribution deals, but if Cassandra's Dream flops, he may have to look elsewhere for the release of his next film, Midnight in Barcelona. I don't think Lionsgate has put out a Woody Allen film yet ...