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To get most out of Woman on Top, one must come prepared to be enchanted. A native of
the BrazilianState of Bahia, the beautiful Isabella Oliveira (Penelope Cruz) falls in love and marries Toninho (Murilo Benicio), and becomes a cook in his seaside restaurant.
A born culinary artist, she is happy working hidden away with the pots and pans while her husband sings and flirts in the limelight—until she catches him in bed with the
woman next door. She flees Bahia, reunites with her Brazilian transvestite soul-sister Monica (Harold Perrineau, Jr.) in San Francisco, and as fate would have it, soon becomes
a cooking show star on local TV.
Fina Torres proves her prowess as director in this never-a-dull-moment film which owes its
appeal to its depiction of an unfamiliar but charming (Brazilian) lifestyle. The storyline would have been predictable in the usual lightweight Hollywood comedy but the
injection of interesting elements from a non-American culture gives it a fresh twist. Providing subtle realism to the movie is the music—samba—skillfully played and
timed to enhance the story. The credibility of the film owes much to the actors' impressive performance, starting with Perrineau (the narrator of HBO's "Oz" and the man killed
by the bear in "The Edge") who is not a professional transvestite but performs the role so well that he sometimes simply steals the show from eyecatcher Cruz. Spanish actress
Cruz with her endearing accented English is also perfectly cast as Isabella—a role that for all their looks and talents couldn't have been convincingly played by someone
like Wynona Ryder or even by another Spanish actress Catherine-Zeta Jones. "Cute and whimsical" aptly describes this movie, but judging from the way the camera dotes on Cruz,
the viewer may conclude that Woman on Top was meant to unabashedly showcase Cruz's gifts and natural allure and launch her into international stardom.
Would you want your children to see this movie? Though treated lightly, love in Woman on
Top is portrayed as a supreme, magical and overwhelming force that is greater than the individual's desires. There are scenes portraying rituals and traditions that the
average Catholic may find strange and even bordering on superstition. However, they are the very vehicle for the refreshing message of the film: that true love, commitment,
and respect for one's native culture are stronger values than personal freedom and material success. If the viewer is firm about his faith and religious beliefs, he will not
be misled by the presence of magic in the movie; rather, his values may even be strengthened by its message. Thus, CINEMA suggests that this movie be seen only by mature
viewers 18 and above.
(Date reviewed: February 23, 2001)
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