PASSIONADA * * 1/2
2002 - USA Director: Dan Ireland Starring: Sofia Milos, Jason Isaacs, Emmy Rossum, Seymour Cassel, Lupe Ontiveros, and Theresa Russell
Reviewed by Frankie Paiva
The closing night film of SIFF 2002 finally gets a theatrical release. Passionada is an adult romance between a broke card counter named Charlie (Jason Isaacs) and a widowed Fado singer named Celia (Sofia Milos). Celia is so heartbroken by the death of her husband at sea seven years ago, that she closes herself off from men, never wanting to take the plunge of love again. Charlie has been banned from every casino in the country, and is now living in a motel funded by his old partner Daniel (Seymour Cassel). An unlikely couple indeed, but with the help of Celia's conniving daughter Vicky (Emmy Rossum) and Celia's wise stepmother (Lupe Ontiveros), they just might rekindle a passion for life and each other.
In other words, it's absolutely nothing we haven't seen before in countless romantic comedies. Passionada, however, has a sweet and loving heart and a strong Portuguese influence that set it apart from most Hollywood romances. Like My Big Fat Greek Wedding, a majority of the humor is found from the ethnic differences between Portuguese Celia and British Charlie. Fish jokes and bad British food jokes are plentiful, but are done in a gentle and natural way. There isn't a sitcomy feel to any of the scenes, and none of the humor is forcibly extracted from the characters. The presence of Fado music and traditional Portuguese dancing is also a nice touch, giving the film a unique element it desperately needs. I would have liked to see more scenes with Celia singing, as her voice is actually that of Misia, one of Portugal's longstanding Fado divas. I would also have liked to see less of the daughter, as a subplot involving Charlie teaching her how to count cards doesn't really go anywhere or contribute to the story.
Both Isaacs and Milos are appealing as the main characters. Milos is given a variety of beautiful New Bedford, MA locations to look gorgeous in, and Isaacs is given many chances to be sly and charming. Rossum is believable as the daughter, despite her poorly written character arc. We actually believe that Celia and Vicky are mother and daughter, not only do they look just like each other, but a familiar affection between the actresses reinforces them as family. Lupe Ontiveros, however, steals yet another film with her performance as Celia's stepmother. She gets easily what are the two best lines in the movie, and is a hilarious presence, always watching the action from her balcony. She grounds a story that could have been complete fluff.
While slow moving, especially in the first half, Passionada is a charming enough romantic comedy for adults about adults. There's nothing particularly special about it, but it entertains. It's a pleasant, if familiar, film.
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