BOSSA NOVA A film review by Steve Rhodes Copyright 2000 Steve Rhodes RATING (0 TO ****): ***
Love is in the air in BOSSA NOVA, starring Amy Irving and directed by her husband Bruno Barreto. It's a comedic romance with the comedy used as a relaxation device to put you in the mood for love.
Several couples are in the process of forming relationships, and all of the relationships are touchingly genuine, thanks to the meticulous direction and to the delicately effective script by Alexandre Machado and Fernanda Young, based on Sérgio Sant'Anna's novel.
Although some of the lovers are the traditional young twentysomethings, popular in the cinema, the leads (Irving and Antônio Fagundes) are both around 50. Most motion pictures believe that significant love stops around 35 and isn't reborn, except for some patronizing films about senior citizen romances.
The film is set in Rio, which is shown so gorgeously, particularly in the scenes set at dusk, that you may feel compelled to consult your travel agent after the picture is over.
With a twinkle in her eye, Irving plays an English language teacher named Mary Ann. A widow, Mary Ann hasn't dated in over 2 years, and she isn't on the prowl now, even if, subconsciously, she's receptive to the right gestures. One day, a dashingly handsome lawyer, Pedro Paulo (Fagundes), sees her and is instantly smitten. Pedro is on the rebound, having recently separated from his wife. You can tell by the way he ignores his beautiful legal assistant, Sharon (Giovanna Antonelli), that he hasn't been exactly knocking doors down to find another woman. But Mary Ann is something different, so he enrolls in her language class in the hopes of sparking her interest in him.
Barreto's brilliance can be seen in the way he stages the scenes. One of the best has Pedro behind Mary Ann in a crowded elevator. He opens his palm and sneaks it toward her rear. We, of course, think he is going to do some Latin, macho thing and secretly fondle her before she knows who touched her. But his hand never quite comes in contact with her body. He quickly moves his hand all over her backside, measuring her for a blouse that he is going to make. You see, he comes from a long line of tailors.
In another scene, we meet Pedro's father, Juan (Alberto de Mendoza), a tailor of the old school. He literally listens to the fabric to grade it and to determine how best to use the material. Also at the tailor shop is Pedro's brother, Roberto (Pedro Cardoso), who falls for Sharon, as does soccer star Acácio (Alexandre Borges).
Acácio, one of Mary Ann's private pupils, also has eyes for her. But she's more flattered than interested. Since he is about to move to England, he needs her to teach him how to cuss in English as well as he can in Portuguese so that he can intimidate the players in his new country. The profanity lesson is the movie's funniest episode since it's done so sweetly. It's also one of the few fast paced scenes in the picture, which usually takes its time.
There are many other key characters, and they are all linked together in various ways, many being English language students. Characters are only introduced if the writer has a plan for the character's development. Most movies fail when they become too ambitious in the number of plots and subplots, but BOSSA NOVA never overreaches. Every character is worth caring about, and every romance is worth our attention. The film's dreamy, old-time music invokes memories of the movie romances from the 1940s. There is even a dream sequence in which the two leads take a spin around the dance floor, actually Mary Ann's classroom.
Even the smallest details are carefully designed to reinforce the story's romantic mood. The sheets in the hospital, for example, are a peaceful sea green. The contrasting clothes include some of the best looking, and best tailored, suits that you've ever seen on Pedro and some of the flashiest silk shirts on Acácio.
Not all of the relationships turn out exactly as you might guess and some are left not completely resolved. Nevertheless, the good-spirited story leaves you with a warm glow. A very satisfying film about the possibilities and the joys of love, BOSSA NOVA shows what can happen when romantic comedies tone down the comedy and accentuate the romance. The result can be splendid.
BOSSA NOVA runs 1:35. The film is in English and in Portuguese with English subtitles. It is rated R for language and some sexual content and would be fine for teenagers.
Email: Steve.Rhodes@InternetReviews.com Web: http://www.InternetReviews.com
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