Woody Allen is the definition of the term "living legend." Love him or hate him for his often-controversial personal life, his work continues to surprise and challenge filmgoers. His latest, Vicky Cristina Barcelona is no different; set in the titular city, it stars Javier Bardem, Penelope Cruz, Rebecca Hall, and, in their third picture together in as many years, Scarlett Johansson. I still can’t believe I got to sit down in front of the guy, but here are a few of the highlights ...

Cole Haddon: Can you talk about women, and how they inspire your work?

Woody Allen: The interesting thing is – and I've said this before – when I first started, I could never write for women. I always wrote the male point of view. People even commented about it at the time. Then I got into Play it Again, Sam with Diane Keaton on stage. Keaton and I started dating, we started living together, and became very close. Through some kind of Socratic osmosis or something, I started writing for women. Then I sort of only wrote for women. For some reason I find them interesting to write about too. Men occasionally, but really my heart is in it more when I'm writing for women. A bonus is that there are so many wonderful actresses out there ... waiting for an opportunity to work.

CH: Like Scarlett Johansson?

WA: Yeah, Scarlett was an accident. I had Kate Winslet for Match Point to the last week in pre-production. I didn’t know Scarlett from a hole in the wall. I thought she was too young to play the part; she was only 19 years old at the time. [But] I was in a hole, I had to get somebody fairly quickly, and I knew that Scarlett was a great actress and a beauty. I hired her and became totally captivated by her. I thought she could simply do anything. I'm very happy to work with her. Whenever there is a part that fits anything she could do, I [will] always call her and hope that she would be available for it.

CH: Rebecca Hall's character, Vicky, seemed very much like roles you've written for yourself in the past -- the voice of reason. When you were writing the character, did you intentionally use "your voice?"

WA: You are the third person that has asked me that question. To me, it seems so outlandish. Apparently it's not, though, because you are the third person to ask me that question. Years ago, when a friend saw Interiors, she insisted to me that I was the Mary Beth Hurt character on the flimsy evidence that she was wearing a tweed sport jacket that I liked to wear. I was saying, "No, it’s not true because her problem in the movie is that she can't express herself artistically. She's full of feeling and can't get it out." I've always been able to write a little bit, or make jokes. I've never had that problem. As the years went by people would say, "John Cusack is you, or this one is you," so, when I did Match Point, someone said that Jonathan Rhys Meyers was playing my role. I'm thinking, "How can someone possibly come to that?" In my wildest incarnation, I couldn't play that role, be that character, or think that way. [For the same reason] not for a second would I think of myself in any relation to Vicky ... but it's interesting that it keeps coming up, so I can only think I have a blind spot. It's not like you're the only crazy in the city. I have a blind spot and I don't see it, but apparently it's there for other people to see. I don't see it in any way, but I can't honestly say that my perspective on it is correct. I'm starting to lose confidence.

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