Penelope Cruz said she fell in love with the character she plays in Vicky Cristina Barcelona as she attended the movie's UK premiere.

Also starring Scarlett Johansson and Rebecca Hall, the movie is showing as part of the BFI 52nd London Film Festival.

Vicky Cristina Barcelona tells the story of two American friends (Johansson and Hall) who spend the summer in Barcelona and fall for Javier Bardem's artist character Juan.

Cruz plays Maria, the tempestuous ex-wife of free-spirited Juan in the film and said: "I fell in love with the character".

The 34-year-old also said that it was "amazing" to work with director Woody Allen. The film was shown at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.

Despite the temperature dropping to just 3C at the premiere in Leicester Square, Cruz wowed the crowd in a figure-hugging black flapper-style dress by L'Wren Scott, the girlfriend of Rolling Stone Mick Jagger.

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