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Woman on Top

Play trailer Poster for Woman on Top R 2000 1h 25m Romance Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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35% Tomatometer 100 Reviews 42% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Set to the intoxicating rhythms of Brazil, Woman on Top is a spicy, sexy comedy about the magic of food, love and music. Meet Isabella, a sultry enchantress born with the special gift of melting the palates and hearts of men everywhere. When she decides to break free from her rocky marriage and the stifling kitchen of her husband's restaurant in Brazil, she spirits off to San Francisco in pursuit of her dreams of a real culinary career.
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Woman on Top

Woman on Top

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Critics Consensus

Despite Penelope Cruz's beauty and charm, the movie is too tepid to be a romance and too silly to be believable. And the movie is too eager to please with an ending that seems more like a cop out.

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Critics Reviews

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Jane Crowther BBC.com Apr 16, 2001
3/5
Torres' playful and whimsical film is the ideal tonic for the winter blues, bursting with sunshine, fantasy, and mouth-wateringly fiery food. Go to Full Review Susan Stark Detroit News Jan 1, 2000
2/4
Flavor? Amusingly piquant with traces of honey. Aftertaste? Thin. Go to Full Review Elvis Mitchell New York Times Jan 1, 2000
2.5/5
This would-be spicy film has been made blandly palatable. Go to Full Review Jan Stuart The Advocate Apr 5, 2022
Torres directs it all with the requisite Doris Day sparkle and fizz, plus a heady dose of samba and scenery. Go to Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews Nov 25, 2020
2/4
...an exceedingly lighthearted romantic comedy that never quite manages to achieve liftoff... Go to Full Review B. Ruby Rich San Francisco Bay Guardian Feb 26, 2020
Shut off the analytic sector of your brain, and the rest of you can, have a thoroughly pleasant night out at the movie theater. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Horror fan 4 @Horrorfan4life Jun 29, 2024 Penelope Cruz is the only standout in this movie. The story is cheesy and predictable. See more Thomas W @Enigma0999 May 29, 2023 only thing anygood is penélope cruz. See more Jan 2, 2022 Started well and the premise seemed cool but the supernatural/magic bits kinda eeeeh not for me. Too much singing and music and at times seemed a bit of... fetishising cooking and some cultural aspects. A bit of a disappointment See more Jul 12, 2020 I personally love the movie!!! See more Sep 24, 2018 The term 'magical realism' is usually an oxymoron. Here? Just a moron. See more Steve S @RT32687682 Nov 12, 2014 ***Due to the recent RT changes that have basically ruined my past reviews, I am mostly only giving a rating rather than a full review.*** See more Read all reviews
Woman on Top

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Cast & Crew

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Fina Torres

Director

Penélope Cruz

Isabella Oliveira

Murilo Benício

Toninho Oliveira

Harold Perrineau

Monica Jones

Mark Feuerstein

Cliff Lloyd

John de Lancie

Alex Reeves

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Woman on Top

Director Fina Torres. Mark Feuerstein. Penelope Cruz and Mark Feuerstein. Murilo Benício. Woman on Top (2000) Woman on Top (2000) Woman on Top (2000) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Set to the intoxicating rhythms of Brazil, Woman on Top is a spicy, sexy comedy about the magic of food, love and music. Meet Isabella, a sultry enchantress born with the special gift of melting the palates and hearts of men everywhere. When she decides to break free from her rocky marriage and the stifling kitchen of her husband's restaurant in Brazil, she spirits off to San Francisco in pursuit of her dreams of a real culinary career.
Director
Fina Torres
Screenwriter
Vera Blasi
Distributor
Fox
Production Co
Fox Searchlight
Rating
R
Genre
Romance, Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 22, 2000, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 25, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$5.0M
Runtime
1h 25m
Sound Mix
SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS, Surround, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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