Woman on Top (2000)

Brazilian chef Isabella Oliveira moves to San Francisco when her husband, frustrated by her motion sickness, cheats on her.

Director:

Fina Torres

Writer:

Vera Blasi

Stars:

Penélope Cruz, Murilo Benício, Harold Perrineau

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Penélope Cruz	...	Isabella Oliveira (as Penelope Cruz)
Murilo Benício	...	Toninho Oliveira
Harold Perrineau	...	Monica Jones (as Harold Perrineau Jr.)
Mark Feuerstein	...	Cliff Lloyd
John de Lancie	...	Alex Reeves (as John De Lancie)
Anne Ramsay	...	TV Director
Ana Gasteyer	...	Claudia Hunter
Analu De Castro	...	Little Isabella - Age 2
Thais De Sá Curvelo	...	Little Isabella - Age 5
Eliana Guttman	...	Isabella's Mother
Eduardo Mattedi	...	Isabella's Father
Ana Paula Oliveira	...	Cook
Marilice Santos	...	Sexy Neighbor
Giba Conceição	...	Troubadour #1
Joaquim Pinto	...	Troubadour #2

Storyline

Plagued by chronic motion sickness, Isabella--a sultry Brazilian belle, and a gifted chef--needs to be in control in every aspect of her life: in her car; in the kitchen; on the dance floor, and of course, during sex. Needless to say, this confusing situation drives Isabella's husband, Toninho, crazy--and after one infidelity too many--the feisty young woman decides to do what she knows best: take over the reins of her life, and move to San Francisco. There, a brilliant career as the presenter of her TV cooking show awaits Isabella--and for the first time in a long while--she feels loved. Will guilty Toninho realise what he's lost?

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Plot Keywords:

female frontal nudity | television show | motion sickness | brazilian | brazil | 

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Taglines:

It's gonna be a hot one!

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Genres:

Comedy | Fantasy | Romance

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some strong sexuality and language

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Portuguese

Release Date:

22 September 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Woman on Top

Filming Locations:

Bahia, Brazil

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,008,191, 24 September 2000

Gross USA:

$5,018,450

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox Searchlight Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Harold Perrineau ("Monica") is actually straight. He and his wife Brittany (a model) have three children, including actress Aurora Perrineau.

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Goofs

Near the end of the film, when trying to salvage the souffle, they bring out a box of Kraft-like "Cheese and Macarroni". Should be "Macaroni".

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Quotes

Toninho: Isabella, I swear on my mother's grave, you are the only woman I ever loved.
Isabella: Your mother is still alive.
Toninho: That's not the point.

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Connections

Referenced in Micmacs (2009)

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Soundtracks

Chão de Estrelas
Written by Orestes Barbosa and Sílvio Caldas (as Sylvio Caldas)
Performed by Baden Powell
Courtesy of Universal Music Ltda.

User Reviews

Very nice, colorful, funny movie! (with a sexy Murilo Benicio and a sensual Penelope Cruz)

I saw "Woman on top" yesterday and I found it very nice. It's a very funny story set first in Bahia (Brazil) and then in San Francisco, when Isabella (Penelope Cruz) became a TV star in a TV program about food. Penelope Cruz is very good in the role but it would be better if the role of Isabella was given to a brazilian actress (like for example Giovanna Antonelli, who would be perfect for the role), because a Spanish actress, even if she is good, who plays a sensual brazilian cook do not sound such well. Murilo Benicio (Toninho), one of the best brazilian young actors, is very good, very funny and so handsome and sexy! The story is very colorful and the music is beautiful, with many brazilian bossa nova hits like "Aquarela do Brasil" and "Vocè". The idea of Isabella having a best friend who is a drag queen is very good and also the idea of the TV program about the passion in brazilian cooking is excellent (and it remembers the role of the sensual cook Dona Flora played by Sonia Braga in "Dona Flor and her two husbands" by Bruno Barreto). If you want to feel the passion, the color, the music of Brazil, you have to watch this movie, even if, I repeat again, a brazilian actress would be better for the main role. I give it a 7.