"Woman On Top"
Isabella (Penelope Cruz) is a beautiful, talented chef living in contented bliss with her husband, Toninho (Murilo Benicio), at their little restaurant in the Brazilian port town of Bahia. But, while Isabella works in isolation in the kitchen, Toninho sings and socializes with the patrons nightly. The pretty cook can deal with her husband's flirtations as long as he can live with her affliction: severe motion sickness. It's a condition so bad that she must be in control of her movements at all times, or get very sick. She must drive when they go out; she can't take the elevator; and, she must lead when they dance. Even worse for the macho Toninho, Isabella must be on top when they make love. This last fact drives the couple apart and Isabelle flees to San Francisco to seek a place to practice her culinary skills in "Woman On Top."
Director Fina Torres ("Celestial Clockwork") uses the screenplay by newcomer Vera Blasi to create a magical little love story that owes much more than a passing nod to the 1992 food and fantasy film by Alfonso Arau, "Like Water For Chocolate." In both films, the cuisine is a character unto itself that, in the hands of the magical maestro, takes on a sensuality that will "fire the blood and satisfy the heart." The Arau film is more involving in its combination of complex and numerous characters and a wonderfully lyrical mysticism that makes the film so magical.
Blasi's original story is more forced in it situational setup of plot devices as the fantasy story unfolds. For example, how many people live in obscure little Brazilian towns, but run off to San Francisco when the marriage breaks up? This is a real stretch for the imagination and is just one of the problems with the story. There is the best "girl" friend, Monica Jones (a marvelous performance by Harold Perrineau, Jr.), who is supposed to be a childhood friend of Isabella's, but seems to be there just to be the off-beat transvestite comic relief. Isabella's success and popularity, especially among the guys in San Francisco, is made believable only because of the charisma of Cruz.
The love story that is drawn through the film does have a certain amount of charm as Toninho realizes his loss when Isabella leaves after catching him with another woman (where he got to be on top). When the despondent restaurateur learns where his true love has fled, he makes a beeline to the US to find her. Isabella has had a spell cast to make her fall out of love with Toninho, but that won't stop the passionate Brazilian as he risks anything, including arrest and incarceration, to get Isabella back. Toninho is aided in his quest by a three-piece band that (magically, of course) accompany him in his continuous serenades to the beautiful Isabella. The love story is sweet and the music, especially Toninho's love songs, helps set the romantic mood.
The acting will not bring any attention at the end of the year. Cruz is lovely to look at and has a real presence on the screen, but the actress is more eye candy than character. Don't get me wrong, Isabella is a beautiful object of affection. And, she can cook! Murilo Benicio is a handsome, personable young actor and does a fine job as the tortured Toninho. When he realizes just what he lost when Isabella left him, nothing else matters as he does all he can to get her back. Harold Perrineau, Jr. (TV's "Oz") gets lots of opportunities to camp it up as Isabella's best friend, though the point of the character is lost to me, except as comic relief. There is little, if any, other character development by the rest of the supporting cast, which is a problem.
Food may be the focus of the film, but it is obvious that cinematographer Thierry Arbogast has a crush, visually at least, on Cruz. The camera lovingly captures every move and expression of the actress in a way that is almost a caress. This helps to build the sensuality of the film while giving the guys in the audience a chance to linger awhile and gaze at one of the world's most beautiful women. Other tech credits are first rate with costumer Elisabeth Tavernier giving Cruz a complimentary look and she has some fun dressing up Monica. Production design by Philippe Chiffre is slick, especially with the sets for Isabella's cooking show.
The music used in "Woman On Top" must be noted, too. Classic Brazilian songs from the '40s and later are used to wonderful effect, with Toninho using the soulful romantic ballads as tools to get his beloved wife back, even if on her terms. Scoring, by Oscar-winner Luis Bacalov, carries the Latino music theme through the whole film that blends nicely with the songs.
The forced artificiality of much of the story tends to dim the shine of the sweet romance that develops between Isabella and Toninho. The overt magical references and effects, the glitter of Isabella's sudden fame on TV, thoughtless network honchos, spell casting and other such devices end up hurting the film, making its 92 minute run time seem excessive.
Penelope Cruz has been gaining popularity internationally with her collaborations with Spanish directors Pedro Almodovar and Fernando Trueba. The actress is stunningly beautiful and casts a sensuous shadow across any role she plays. With "Woman On Top," she gets the chance star in a film that is a showcase for her beauty and her entry into the great American star machine.
While "Woman On Top" may not be all that it could have been - a more mature screenplay that delved into relationships, magical or not, would have helped - it does has a gentle nature that helps cancel out some of the film's problems, but not all. It just doesn't cast a spell on me. I give it a C+.
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