Scarlett Johansson on Woody Allen Movie

Penelope Cruz, Vicky Christina Barcleona

Vicky Christina Barcelona, starring Scarlett Johansson, Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz and Rebecca Hall, opening this Friday, has been called Woody Allen's "steamiest film." Here Scarlett explains why the notion of Woody playing Bertolucci makes her giggle and why it's more salami than sex.

The best thing about working with Woody, other than just getting to spend every day chatting with him, bothering him and poking him to make sure he's still awake, is that he writes such fantastic female roles. He has such an appreciation for the intricacies of the female mind. I think he would say that we're a superior species or something. He really loves women.

It makes every day a pleasure to come to set and see his little smiling face. We've formulated such a comfortable working relationship that we communicate almost silently, as friends kind of do. If something seems strange to me, he'll be able to explain the psychology, and it's nice to be directed like that.

Scarlett, Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz

There's a lot of chemistry between the characters and all of us as actors, and that's where the steaminess comes from. There's such a chemistry between the characters, even my character's kind of surprised by it herself, but it's not really explicit. These characters fall in love, and people that fall in love are intimate.

When you're shooting there are like 60 grown men eating salami sandwiches. Nobody cares when you're doing it. From all the press that we got out of this one kiss you'd think that it was some crazy X-rated movie. I mean it's Woody; the idea of Woody Allen's "steamiest film" is so ridiculous to me. (laughs) It's not like it's Bertolucci or something. Woody's so conservative with that kind of thing. It is sweet.

Javier's such a gentleman, and a gentle man, that it was an easy day's work. They pay me to do this? Well, on a Woody Allen movie no one necessarily pays you to do it, but at least you're sort of semi-employed. (laughs) Javier is such a great actor, and of course it's very easy to look dreamily, lovingly into his big brown eyes.

Shooting in Barcelona

The city is obviously magical in the summer, and it's so romantic. There is always something happening at all hours of the night - people outside drinking wine and being merry. All those tourist things that we do in the movie, I was really experiencing for the first time. It's that idyllic, "summer in Europe" kind of place to be. Certainly Barcelona is the perfect place for a spicy, steamy romance.

On Penelope Cruz

Penelope's a gem...beautiful inside and out. She's proven herself a million times over. She's a chameleon and could play anything.

She comes in with notes and all of this. It's crazy. I felt so out of the loop. She and Javier both work in a kind of refined method, and I prepare in a different way. I learned a lot about myself as an actor working with them - how to play well in the sandbox and go along with the improvisation. They almost live it. It's like all of a sudden the three of us became this little family in a way, and it made our scenes together so truthful.

I think that Penelope and I have some similarities, which is why I think we get along so well. That's one of the wonderful things about this job - meeting people that you really have such an intimate experience with. Sometimes you think you'll never see this person again, but you always see people again and again.