Editor’s note: Earlier this week wowOwow.com caught up with Woody Allen at a press conference to promote his new film, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," which stars Scarlett Johansson, Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz and Rebecca Hall.

The Four Seasons hotel, neatly tucked away on South Doheny Drive in the heart of Beverly Hills, with its maximum luxury and service, sharply contrasts with Mr. Woody Allen on this press junket within its chandeliered and immaculate halls. Looking like he could be a Brooklyn sales rep for L.L. Bean, he appeared in the ballroom for his press conference with no fanfare: pale-skinned, in baggy khakis and a well-worn long-sleeve blue denim shirt and nondescript brown shoes, along with his trademark glasses and hair.

Allen was asked how he could write such remarkable portrayals of women.

Click here for photos from "Vicky Cristina Barcelona."

"[At the beginning of my career I] could never write for women, but after beginning working and ultimately cohabiting with Diane Keaton during the first stage production of ‘Play It Again Sam,’ by some kind of Socratic osmosis or something, I found that I could write for women. Then I sort of only wrote for women. I wrote more and more for women, and I wrote for them all the time,” Allen said.

He further elaborated that most of the people with whom he works, including his editor, producer and press person are women.

"I get a big kick out of them, and for some reason I find them interesting to write about. Men occasionally, but really my heart is in it more when I’m writing for women, and I don’t know why."

Who Wore Who

The Four Seasons accommodations paled in contrast with the film’s stars at their roundtable discussions.

Scarlett Johansson sported beautifully done straight hair with blonde highlights and long bangs she would occasionally push behind her ears, as did Penélope Cruz, who wore her long brunette hair perfectly teased.

Ms. Johansson notably sported her new tragus piercing as well as her older double piercings in each ear. Ms. Johansson’s top was an abstract print of green, beige and black vertical slashes by April May, her pants were generic leotards and her flats were by Jimmy Choo.

She affirmed that she treats Mr. Allen as a person instead of an icon.

"I don’t care, how many statues of him there are or how many people dress like him for Halloween. He is a person after all. He’s simply very shy," Johansson said.

Ms. Cruz wore a beautiful pale red dress and exquisite lace-up pumps, all by Oscar de la Renta. She described Allen as a "genius." She mentioned finding the life-sized bronze statue of him located in Oviedo while wandering the streets one night with Johansson.

"We took pictures with the statue … hugging him. He [Allen] asked for the pictures. I don’t know if we gave them to him. I think Scarlett has them," she said.

Mr. Bardem wore all Prada, consisting of a black, long-sleeve casual dress shirt, jeans and athletic shoes. He affirmed Allen’s fondness for the company of women, mentioning that the only time he had a long conversation with Allen was when the women were all gone.

Ms. Hill (who plays Vicky in the movie) wore a shirt by Alberta Ferretti, bottom by Stella McCartney, and flats by Prada. Chris Messina (Vicky’s fiancé) wore a plain white Giorgio Armani shirt, John Varvatos jeans and shoes by Clarks.