Kiss of the Spider Woman

I got lucky at Sundance and caught the second viewing of this gem. I recall the original film with Raul Julia and William Hurt and loved it. This is a whole new approach and it works throughout. I was worried that Jennifer Lopez would steal the show but if anything lead actors Diego Luna and Tonatiuh made it for me. Don't misunderstand, Lopez was wonderful but the the two inmates were incredible in prison as well as in the fantasy film musical. Their chemistry was perfect and their comedic timing of great dialogue made it a joy.

Don't waste any time getting out to see this film as soon as it opens.

... such are the eyes through which we see the world nowadays. Nonetheless, a story of two people catching each other in their own webs and becoming more than just cellmates. Superbly acted and directed, if not a little dated.

We've come a long way since this was written and released, we see the world through different eyes, have different perspectives on what is acceptable and what is not. This film would not be made today, like so many films of the past that had themes that were challenging, but subsequently turn out to be considerably different from what society will tolerate some years later. You decide, read between the lines.

Musicals seem to be having a moment. And not a good one. WICKED (2024) was a slog. Then we had the mediocre BETTER MAN and the skin-crawling JOKER 2. The new KISS OF THE SPIDER-WOMAN is a adaptation of the Broadway musical, itself an adaptation of the gritty Manuel Puig novel. A film about how to survive mentally during oppression and fascism would be welcome now. But this is another "Give me an Oscar, dammit!" plea from JLo. She'll probably get it, since you can assault people at the Academy Awards and still get lauded.

You might think JLo would make a decent Ingrid Luna/Spider-Woman. Her character here is pastiche, which frankly has been the singer-dancer's entire career. But Lopez is so much more a celebrity than an actress that you never forget it's her.

Valentín (Diego Luna) is good as the political prisoner Valentín, who shares a cell with Molina (Tonatiuh), who is a little one note as a window dresser convicted of public indecency.

This film really needed to lean in to the horrors of what was going on in the world outside the prison. That's what we need now. Not another middling musical.

Any fans of the Broadway show should note that many of the songs from the musical have been cut (wonder why?), and the only songs there are take place in the fantasy sequences.

I'm intrigued that Bill Condon has chosen to remake "Kiss of the Spider Woman" as a musical. Based on a Manuel Puig novel, the story focuses on two men imprisoned under Brazil's 1970s military dictatorship: Valentin, a leftist suspected of seeking to overthrow the junta, and Molina, a gay man held because of his sexuality. The narrative contrasts the characters shared plight with their sharply opposed attitudes toward power, and with the evolving hopes and stories that keep them going. Director Eduardo Barreto's 1985 adaptation garnered high praise, as did stars William Hurt, Raul Julia, and Sonia Braga. The film is a harrowing exploration of oppression which subtly pressed 1980s Western audiences about the brutal authoritarian regimes our governments backed for the sake of anticommunism, about the marginalization of both egalitarian politics and gay people throughout the world. Yet, the cellmates aren't given a free pass: They waver between selfishness and solidarity. Just when you think you've figured them out, they take a turn. Forty years later, the story seems roughly the same, but our context has changed. Today, Condon's KOTSW remake is being released into a U. S. A. That's taking its own authoritarian turn. The government isn't a military dictatorship, but the president rules by decree, defies the courts, disappears thousands of civilians daily to prison camps, and floods the streets with troops at the slightest pretext. Fittingly, Andor star Diego Luna takes over Raul Julia's role as the revolutionary Valentin.

What a fantastic adaptation, great justice to the novel, the musical and the original film! Stellar costumes, direction and editing! Golden age of Hollywood level! Insane dancing from the cast and surprising vocal performance from Lopez (the best I've heard her sound). Diego Luna shines in a new light and. Tonatiuh Elizarraraz is a revelation! So thrilling to watch yet makes you think deeper for important questions in life. I would love to see this revived on Broadway! Can't wait for Condon's next projects! The room was packed and it received a standing ovation at the Sundance Film Festival! So grateful to be there, I hope it gets a wide proper release cause this can be a box office smash hit!