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Woman on Top
Fox Searchlight Pictures
MPAA RATING: R for some strong sexuality and language
Starring
Penélope Cruz,
Murilo Benício,
Harold Perrineau Jr,
Mark Feuerstein,
and
John de Lancie
Set to the intoxicating rhythms of Brazil, Woman on Top is a spicy, sexy comedy about the magic of food, love and music. (Fox Searchlight Pictures)
| GENRE(S): |
Romance
|
| WRITTEN BY: |
Vera Blasi
|
| DIRECTED BY: |
Fina Torres
|
| RELEASE DATE: |
DVD: February 13, 2001
Video: February 13, 2001
Theatrical: September 22, 2000
|
| RUNNING TIME: |
91 minutes, Color |
| ORIGIN: |
USA |
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
83
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
William Arnold
As a goofy little fantasy, however, this film has loads of charm.
75
Miami Herald
Curtis Morgan
A charming confection spun from pure whimsy.
75
USA Today
Andy Seiler
All coy and fey -- and painless to digest.
70
Variety
Lisa Nesselson
A fantastical romp with a buoyant pace, exotic locations, a finger-popping score, appealing leads and spicy cooking demonstrations.
63
Chicago Sun-Times
Roger Ebert
This is the kind of movie you sort of like, and yet even while you're liking it, you're thinking how much better these characters and this situation could have been with a little more imagination and daring.
63
New York Post
Jonathan Foreman
Prime date fare, but cotton-candy light and occasionally just a little too whimsical.
63
Philadelphia Inquirer
Steven Rea
Tries too hard to be playful and sensual, wacky and romantic, and comes away feeling fake and prefabricated instead.
63
Chicago Tribune
Marc Caro
A dish that's pretty easy to swallow, but if it could have borrowed some of Isabella's more potent spices, it might have boasted a more lasting flavor.
63
Boston Globe
Jay Carr
A romantic fairy tale that's light and in several ways seductive, if not exactly filling.
60
LA Weekly
John Patterson
Relentlessly positive and optimistic, the film is also likable, in the most chaste way imaginable.
60
Chicago Reader
Lisa Alspector
This gently satirical farce is atmospheric when dabbling in religion--the chef turns to spiritual magic to defuse her passion for her husband--and moving during her heart-to-hearts with her friend.
58
Portland Oregonian
Shawn Levy
Awfully sloppy entertainment, built on a script with only a glancing acquaintance with logic, filled with uneven performances and staged with a near-amateur touch for comedy.
50
The New York Times
A.O. Scott
This would-be spicy film has been made blandly palatable.
50
TV Guide
Maitland McDonagh
Bright, bubbly and thoroughly inconsequential.
50
Baltimore Sun
Ann Hornaday
Lovely to look at and listen to but doesn't reward any closer study.
50
Austin Chronicle
Russell Smith
Thanks to this relentlessly likable film's playful sexuality and utter lack of pretension it's surprisingly easy to let all of one's objections float away on a fragrant cloud of kitchen sweat, pheromones, and sweet lime zest.
50
San Francisco Examiner
Wesley Morris
Not the sweaty midnight stroll through the garden of carnal delights that its title wants you to believe.
50
New York Daily News
Jack Mathews
Gets the proportions all wrong -- too much magic, not enough realism.
50
San Francisco Chronicle
Bob Graham
Wants to be a brightly colored bubble but has trouble getting aloft.
49
Mr. Showbiz
Michael Atkinson
Predictable, tame dreariness.
40
Village Voice
Jessica Winter
Too flimsily built and baldly unfunny to bolster Cruz's charms, but Almodóvar's blessed Virgin is, as usual, winning and guilelessly seductive.
40
Washington Post
Desson Thomson
Never the magic charmer it sets out to be.
33
Entertainment Weekly
Owen Gleiberman
Has all the mood enhancing flavor of a tropical cocktail made with watered down rum and fake fruit juice.
30
Film.com
John Hartl
The visual fireworks and catchy score just underline the extreme superficiality of the material.
30
Film.com
Robert Horton
There is something especially irritating about whimsy done badly.
30
Rolling Stone
Peter Travers
Cruz is a dish, but her movie is as soggy and indigestible as Styrofoam.
30
Salon.com
Stephanie Zacharek
Just a string of cute gags and pouting on Isabella's part that's supposed to signify soul-searching.
30
Dallas Observer
Bill Gallo
Consistently fails to deliver the charm it presumes to have.
20
Los Angeles Times
Kenneth Turan
If Penélope Cruz were any less attractive, maybe someone would have noticed how dull this mild, would-be romantic fairy tale has turned out.
20
TNT RoughCut
Andy Klein
This is as close to a total wipeout as can be imagined.
10
Washington Post
Rita Kempley
The mind will be starved for subtlety, wit and substance.
 The average user rating for this movie is 5.5 (out of 10) based on 7 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
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