Rated: R (English & Portuguese with English subtitles)
Stars: Amy Irving, Antônio Fagundes
Love and dalliance to the soothing rhythms of the Bossa Nova in beautiful Rio make for lightweight, innocuous fare in this romantic-comedy starring Amy Irving.
Among the love-afflicted are Mary Ann (Irving), who teaches English to the Portuguese-speaking populace and says she isn’t looking for love but falls head over heels nonetheless when she catches the eye of attorney Pedro Paulo (Antônio Fagundes) who joins her class as a ruse to meet her. Her best friend Nadine (Drica Moraes) is hot and heavy over an internet relationship with ‘Gary’, a Soho artist from New York who instead turns out to be a nerdy corporate attorney (Stephen Tobolowsky). And, Roberto, Pedro Paulo’s younger half-brother is enamored with Sharon, the law office’s new intern, while Sharon has her eye on Brazil’s top soccer player Acacio (Alexandre Borges) who’s being sold to a British team and is learning English with Mary Ann. Then there’s Pedro Paulo’s former wife Tania (Débora Bloch) who’s having a rather strange affair with her Chinese Tai Chi instructor.
Given that the setting is Rio de Janiero, you can be sure that there’s plenty of opportunity to sneak in lilting Brazilian tunes over beautiful ocean sunsets and shots of the exquisite mountains.
Lotta says: it’s nice to see Amy Irving again. Bossa Nova might best be watched with a nice glass of wine and few expectations. Directed by Bruno Barreto.
Reviewed 2/21/01