WOMAN ON TOP ------------
Beautiful Isabella (Penelope Cruz, "All About My Mother") is gifted with the art of cooking but cursed with severe motion sickness. Things would seem perfect when she marries handsome restaurant owner Toninho (Murilo Benicio), but she ends up holed away in his kitchen while he charms his patrons outside. When Toninho's macho need to be on top causes him to stray, Isabella flees Brazil for San Francisco and her childhood friend Monica (Harold Perrineau, Jr., "The Best Man"). There she becomes the star of her own television show, 'Passion Food,' while Toninho tries to win her back in "Woman On Top."
LAURA:
"Woman On Top" is a "Like Water for Chocolate" wannabe that isn't. While it features cooking as a metaphor for love and has plenty of Latin fantasy elements it just doesn't have the richness of Arau's film. And the motion sickness plot element is just plain weird.
Cruz is gorgeous (in one scene, every man that crosses her path ends up following her right into her cooking school class) and it's enjoyable watching her whip up Brazilian dishes heavy on the chilies, but Isabella isn't really that interesting of a character. It's actually more involving seeing Toninho develop from a careless charmer to a devoted husband (and Brazilian actor Benicio is quite easy on the eyes, resembling a Latin version of Russell Crowe). Harold Perrineau is delightful as drag queen Monica who revels in dressing up in traditional Brazilian costume to serve as Isabella's cooking sidekick, yet he doesn't provide his character with the appropriate accent. Mark Feuerstein ("Rules of Engagement") mostly mugs for the camera as Isabella's producer and new love interest. Anne Ramsay ("A League of Their Own") stands out in a tiny role as the TV show's director with her witty quips.
The script is the first produced work of Brazilian Vera Blasi, who suffers from motion sickness herself (which at least explains, if not excuses, that element). The story is told like a fairy tale, yet relies far too heavily on voiceover narration. The film was directed by Venezuelan Fina Torres ("Celestial Clockwork"), so two Latin women have given Spanish star Cruz her first English language lead.
The film pops with color as shot by award winning cinematographer Thierry Arbogast ("The Fifth Element"), yet for a film about Brazilian soul, we're shown little of the country. San Francisco is somewhat better represented. Lots of traditional Brazilian music is provided, as performed by Murilo Benicio while rewooing his wife.
While this lightweight Penelope Cruz vehicle has its charms it seems to take forever to reach a forgone conclusion. "Woman on Top" wafts away like the aromas seen coming from Isabella's cooking pots.
C
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