Passionada (2002)

Director:

Dan Ireland

Writers:

David Bakalar (story)
Jim Jermanok (screenplay) ...

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | Drama

Tagline:

Vicky wants what's best for her mother. Charlie's close enough.

Plot:

The film is a romantic comedy about a Portuguese widow whose husband had been a fisherman who died at sea...

Cast

Jason Isaacs	...	Charles Beck
Sofia Milos	...	Celia Amonte
Emmy Rossum	...	Vicky Amonte
Theresa Russell	...	Lois Vargas
Lupe Ontiveros	...	Angelica Amonte
Seymour Cassel	...	Daniel Vargas
Chris Tardio	...	Gianni Martinez
Benjamin Mouton	...	Frankie the Pit Boss
Robert Montano	...	Father Emmanuel
Luis Colina	...	Anthony
Bill Burr	...	Blackjack Player
Russ Vigilante	...	Roberto
Anthero Montenegro	...	Joseph Amonte
George Gund	...	Fisherman
Shawn Fitzgerald	...	Blackjack Dealer

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some sensuality and a conversation about drugs.

Runtime:

108 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Portuguese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS | DTS

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Germany:o.Al. | Sweden:Btl | UK:PG | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Dartmouth, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Sandyo Productions

Trivia:

The first feature film to be filmed on location in New Bedford, Massachusetts in 45 years.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Most of the Portuguese ethnic and cultural references - except the 'Fado' songs (by Mísia) - are flawed: - the title is not correct - in Portuguese it would be "Apaixonada". - none of the character's names are typically Portuguese (Celia, Amonte, Angelica, Gianni Martinez) - Celia prepares a Spanish Paella for Jason - at the street parade, the song is not the Portuguese folk-song the people are dancing on the background - the dance scene is under the spell of a Brazilian Soft-Samba. - "Granny" in Portuguese is "Vovó"

Quotes:

Charlie: Oh I must've misread the... I just... I thought you wanted to see me again...
Celia Amonte: Charles? I do want to see you again but just, not on the ocean...
Charlie: Oh phew! And I thought it was me.

Of Passion, Love and Fish in the Casino

Charlie (Jason Isaac) is a card player of dubious luck, who lives in a cheap motel and is going nowhere until he meets and woos a conservative and beautiful Portugese seamstress/singer, Celia, played by the stunning Sofia Milos (CSI: Miami). Celia has a meddlesome teenage daughter, Vickie (Emmy Rossum) who wants to learn how to count cards by blackmailing Charlie into teaching her, but he is banned from all casinos. Vickie wants to hook her mother up with a new man but her computer dating schemes fail. In the meanwhile, Charlie's only friends, a wealthy couple, Lois (Theresa Russell) and Danny Vargas (Seymore Cassel), lend him their Jaguar XKE, sailboat, and home to impress the widow that he is a successful and wealthy entrepreneur. It sounds like a typical dating game setup except for the background settings of the Portugese fishing community, mouthwatering seafood cooking, and casino gaming that flesh out the story. Love, fish, and lying to make points with the mother, Charlie learns how to turn his life around the hard way through his deceptions which backfire, and Sofia tries to forget the husband whose death has left her prematurely widowed yet not dead from the neck down.

Through the interferences of Vickie, lots of fish as unlikely props, and a sappy storyline, this is an entertaining film which allows the wonderful character actor Jason Isaac to show another side to his already powerful acting chops. Emmy Rossum is adequately irritating in a pre-Phantom of the Opera role which suggests her growth from typical teen to ingénue in training. However, it is the vibrant Sofia Milos as Celia who gives a rounded performance from cloistered widow to sensuous nightclub chanteuse that surprises and delights.

This is a small story about love in all its forms and definitions. Thoroughly enjoyable and wonderful for a date nite or simply rainy day, Passionada entertains.