NOT TOPS BUT NOT SO BAD
Woman on Top is a charming but bland kitchen comedy
by Jessica Liese '01, Arts & Entertainment Editor
Mount Holyoke News; 10/5/00
In a world filled with cynicism and bitterness, it is nice to run across a sweet modern-day fairy tale with a little extra spice. Woman on Top fills that need in a moviegoer's life, but its contrived and often unbelievable plot keeps it from being the freshest flavor on the cinematic shelf.
The story opens in Bahia, a fishing village in northeastern Brazil, where husband-and-wife team Isabella (Penlope Cruz) and Toninho (Murilo Benecio) own a restaurant -- he charms the customers with his good looks and beautiful singing voice while she works miracles in the kitchen as the brilliant head chef. The couple seems blessed by all of the deities of Bahia's Santeria-like polytheistic religion. There is only one minor problem -- Isabella has severe motion sickness, which she can only curb by controlling the motion. She must always drive the car, lead while dancing and be on top when making love.
Toninho's ego, however, can't handle her constant need to be in control. This causes him to hide her away in his restaurant's kitchen and eventually attempt to prove his masculinity with other women. When Isabella catches Toninho in the act, she flees Bahia for San Francisco and moves in with her childhood best friend, sassy drag queen Monica (Harold Perrineau, Jr.).
By pure coincidence (or was that a little creative intervention by Yemanja, goddess of the sea and Isabella's own personal deity), Isabella meets a cloddish and chiseled -- yet caring and sensitive -- television producer named Cliff (Mark Feuerstein), who is charmed by her beauty and talent. As sparks begin to fly between the two, he gives her her own cooking show on prime-time television, Passion Food, which becomes an instant hit with locals. It is not long before network executives want to take the show to a national audience.
Toninho, meanwhile, is beside himself with grief over Isabella. It is not long before he too travels to San Francisco in an attempt to find her and bring her back to his kitchen and his life. Followed everywhere by his own three-piece Brazilian band, Toninho combs the city in search of his wife. He performs all sorts of crazy stunts, including sneaking onto her show with his band, as he tries to charm her back into his life. Finally, in a plot point lifted directly from Wayne's World, Cliff morphs from a sweet, supportive potential love interest into a greasy, manipulative Rob Lowe clone. He informs Isabella that she must wear more revealing clothing, use brighter lights, and take Monica off her show if she wants to be on national television.
Poor Isabella has once again lost control of her life. Coupled with Toninho's persistent efforts to win her back, this is almost too much for one person to bear. Isabella turns to the sea and asks Yemanja for guidance, who directs her to a surprising conclusion.
Peppered throughout with pratfalls courtesy of Feuerstein and snappy one-liners from Perrineau, this film certainly puts the comedy back into romantic comedy. There are several scenes which had the entire audience screaming with laughter, particularly the innuendo-filled Passion Food segments. All of this is backed by an upbeat soundtrack of Brazilian music that certainly adds to the lightheartedness of the film.
Unfortunately, too much of this film relies on plot elements that have been done too many times before. Here, slices of Like Water for Chocolate; The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Practical Magic, among others, dont necessarily make for an appealing, unique whole. Moreover, while many performances, especially those of Perrineau and Benecio, are solid and entertaining, others are flat and lack energy, especially that of Cruz. She plays the ingenue well enough, but it often seems that she is relying more on her pretty face than her acting ability. Feuerstein also delivers a rather dull performance, coming across as an ex-frat boy who would be more comfortable at a keg party than in a TV studio.
It's hard to say whether the high points of the movie are enough to compensate for its contrived plot and flat performances. Fans of Brazilian music or romantic comedies may find it worth their six dollars, but more critical viewers may find it difficult to keep from pointing out its flaws. This is certainly not the worst movie I have seen all year; however, if it turns out to be the best, the movie industry is in a lot of trouble.