While Metropolitan gets a lot of the love, I just prefer Barcelona, if just because I far enjoy the two characters in the latter while the former has a group of city socialites (U.H.P.s; or, if you prefer, preppies) so caught in themselves, I care little about spending time with them or listening to them. A salesman in Barcelona agrees to let his Navy fleet cousin stay with him, and the two of them must learn to get along, all the while managing relationships with local beauties in the city. In Barcelona, the presence of anti-American sentiment causes Fred (Chris Eigeman) to openly vocalize his dislike for how the locals treat him, particularly a womanizing journalist named Ramone (Pep Munné). While Ted (Taylor Nichols) feels as if his company is turning the screws and planning to fire him for his supposed downturn in sales, he becomes enchanted by one of Ramone's many flames, Montserrat (Tushka Bergen). Meanwhile Fred himself becomes involved with a stunning beauty named Marta (Mira Sorvino, quite eyepopping), but she turns out to be a wedge between the cousins when she steals pesos while in Ted's apartment. If you are familiar with Whit Stillman, then you can recognize that his work is quite dialogue-based with long conversation set pieces as actors comment on or voice opinions and thoughts on whatever subjects are important to their characters during the films. Barcelona is similar to Metropolitan in that the characters are concerned about their status in life (where they are and where they will be headed), such as career and romance. Ted deals with a girlfriend still stuck on Ramone (who actually encouraged her to see other men!) and a job (and supposed bullying supervisor that turns out to be anyone but) that demands a lot but could ultimately leave him behind. It gets so bad for Fred--all the negative American propaganda and prejudice encouraged by Ramone's paper and rhetoric--that he eventually is shot by a motorcyclist in a taxi cab. The shooting puts the relationship of the cousins into perspective. With the city of Barcelona as quite an alluring backdrop and characters who are a bit more sympathetic (or to me anyway) than Metropolitan (the wealthy class' romantic entanglements did little to interest me, I must be honest), I really remained compelled during this Stillman film. I quite liked Ted, actually, and seen that he was sincere in his desire to have a meaningful relationship with Montserrat, and truthfully Fred, despite his dependence on his cousin's charity, isn't all that bad of a guy. I think you can clearly see that despite their opposing animosity due to a number of personality differences ultimately would never interfere with their love for one another. The hospital sequence, where Ted never gives up hope for Fred's improvement, recognizes that family is significant even if cousins get on each other's nerves from time to time. The romantic interludes and ups and downs provide plenty of exchanges (melancholy, retrospective, expressive, heated, and curious) in long dialogue sessions that might test the patience on some viewers interested in a forward-moving story. If you know of the French dramas that can be long-winded, and like them, then I think Stillman is your cup of tea.