BOSSA NOVA (1999) / ** [Portuguese; English subtitles]
Directed by Bruno Barreto. Screenplay by Alexandre Machado and Fernanda Young, based on the story "A Senhorita Simpson" by Sergio Sant'Anna. Starring Amy Irving, Antonio Fagundes, Alexandre Borges. Running time: 95 minutes. Rated AA by the MFCB. Reviewed on November 11th, 2000.
By SHANNON PATRICK SULLIVAN
"Bossa Nova" is a movie so trite, it feels as though it got lost on its way to the Brazilian version of "Must See TV". That it wastes some good performances and touching scenes -- as well as an all-too-rare sensitive depiction of middle-aged romance -- makes the experience all the more exasperating. Although it serves moderately well as a feel-good picture, "Bossa Nova" is ultimately not dissimilar from a night spent carousing in Rio: a dim impression of amusement, fading rapidly from the memory.
Amy Irving, wife of director Bruno Barreto, stars as Mary Ann Simpson, an American teaching English in Rio de Janeiro. She becomes the object of affection of contract lawyer Pedro Paulo (portrayed by prolific Brazilian actor Antonio Fagundes). At the same time, Pedro is defending his father Juan (Alberto de Mendoza) against litigation by his fourth ex-wife, which may mean the loss of Juan's beloved tailor shop. Also employed at the tailor shop is Pedro's half-brother Roberto (Pedro Cardoso), who is smitten with Pedro's pretty new intern Sharon (Giovanna Antonelli).
Meanwhile, amongst Mary Ann's other students are soccer star Acacio (Alexandre Borges), who is developing an unhealthy interest in his teacher while preparing to move to London with his gregarious manager Gordo (Sergio Loroza), and the lonely Nadine (Drica Moraes). Nadine, trying to encourage the solitary Mary Ann to meet someone, introduces her to the world of Internet romance. Nadine herself has been involved in an online relationship with a New York artist named Gary, and is trying to work up the courage to visit him. She is encouraged in this endeavour by her travel agent, Tania (Debora Bloch), recently divorced from none other than Pedro Paulo.
It is true that the existence of so many characters, all so completely intertwined, strains at one's sense of belief. But within the confines of this kind of movie, it is not in of itself an object of criticism -- it is part of the grammar of this type of romantic comedy, which relies on the timeworn gambits of mistaken identity and misunderstood dialogue to garner laughs and propel the storyline. Indeed, "Bossa Nova" becomes even more incestuous as it progresses -- for example, Pedro Paulo and Acacio develop a strange sort of semi-rivalry, which leads to Acacio becoming a client of Pedro's, which results in Acacio getting involved with Sharon, which means that he and Roberto have also become inadvertent rivals.
Other films have utilised similarly unlikely set-ups and mined them for great laughs. But the screenplay for "Bossa Nova", by Alexandre Machado and Fernanda Young, is only fleetingly funny. More often than not, the comedy is the sort reserved for short-lived network sitcoms, such as a painful sequence where Nadine goes to apply for a visa and quickly talks herself into trouble until Tania makes the rescue. And then there's the appearance by Stephen Tobolowsky's geeky Trevor, who inexplicably insists on referring to Pedro Paulo by the groan-inducing Anglicisation "Peter Paul".
When "Bossa Nova" succeeds, it is usually when it concentrates on the central relationship between Mary Ann and Pedro Paulo. Although the plethora of competing subplots prevents this romance from being anything but cursorily explored, it is a touching and effective pairing which makes good use of the skills of both Irving and Fagundes. There is a superb scene, for instance, where Pedro takes Mary Ann's measurements thoroughly, without touching her or otherwise arousing her suspicions, while they ride in an elevator, and then puts his long-dormant tailor skills to use in making her a blouse. But even here the movie undercuts itself: the blouse scene over with, it appears Machado and Young had little idea what else to do with the concept, and quickly skip to the inevitable result of Pedro's secretly sending it to Mary Ann.
There is too much going on in "Bossa Nova", and none of it receives the attention it deserves. A subplot involving Tania and her Chinese lover is almost criminally underexploited, such that it appears to exist only to keep Tania from Pedro for a long period of time.Several characters receive so little development that it is difficult to feel any reaction to the unfolding of their respective story arcs. This is especially true of Sharon, who flip-flops back and forth between Roberto and Acacio seemingly at whim, without any clear motivation (in a cute touch, her backpack changes shape to reflect her current allegiance).
Beyond Irving and Fagundes, only Borges and Loroza stand out. Although neither has much to do individually, they do make for an amusingly arrogant double act. Although she looks very good, Antonelli never finds her groove as Sharon, and feels awkward and out of place; the same can be said of Tobolowsky. Others simply seem to be filling space. Consider Cardoso and Bloch, for example, whose final fates are so offhandedly treated that they come across as mere plot facilitators.
Director Barreto at least keeps the pace of "Bossa Nova" moving, such that only a few scenes seem to go on well past their sell-by date (a fortuitous accomplishment, giving the paucity of much of the humour). But Barreto is also too preoccupied with showing off the beauty of Rio. Right from the opening shots, Barreto allows his depiction of the landscape to become gratuitous. And, ironically, sequences where he could really show off the territory to good effect -- like Mary Ann's daily forays into the ocean -- are so tightly lensed as to be almost claustrophobic.
Also disappointing is the incidental music by Eumir Deodato. Given the movie's title, one could be forgiven for expecting a riveting and attractive bossa nova score. But Deodato's compositions are generally tedious and sleep-inducing, and the music never becomes the crucial ingredient that the filmmakers seem to be trying to set up. Indeed, Deodato's score is perhaps emblematic of "Bossa Nova" as a whole -- not really bad, in fact occasionally alluring, but for the most part simply failing to be at all interesting.
Copyright © 2000 Shannon Patrick Sullivan. Archived at The Popcorn Gallery, http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/movies/BossaNova.html
_______________________________________________________________________ / Shannon Patrick Sullivan | "We are all in the gutter, but some of us \ | shannon@mun.ca | are looking at the stars." - Oscar Wilde | \___________________________|__________________________________________/ | Popcorn Gallery Movie Reviews www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/movies.html | | Doctor Who: A Brief History of Time (Travel) /drwho.html |
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