Kiss of the Spider Woman
review by Bobby Blakey
Dreamgirls and Beauty and the Beast director Bill Condon returns to the movie musical in the dazzling Technicolor-hued fantasy Kiss of the Spider Woman based on the acclaimed 1976 novel by Argentinian writer Manuel Puig and the Tony Award®-winning Broadway musical of the same name by the multiple Tony Award®-winning playwright Terrence McNally and composer/lyricist team John Kander and Fred Ebb starring Diego Luna, Tonatiuh and Jennifer Lopez. Could this film do the stage production and original film justice, or should they have to serve more time behind bars?
Kiss of the Spider Woman follows Valentín, a political prisoner who shares a cell with Molina, a window dresser convicted of public indecency. The two form an unlikely bond as Molina recounts the plot of a Hollywood musical starring his favorite silver screen diva, Ingrid Luna.
I want to start by saying I am not a fan of musicals in general, but even more so those that tend to sing every aspect of the dialogue. They just feel fake to me in that tone and then when the more powerful moments happen get lost. I am also not the biggest Jennifer Lopez fan so heading in the film already had some strikes against it but wanted to give it a fair shake. What I came away with is some mixed results on a film that seemed to hit all the marks.
I knew nothing of this film other than the title and knew another film had been made which for some reason I always thought was a horror film, clearly, I was wrong. Thankfully I knew that before actually watching this one. The film deals with some heavy subject matter and does a great job balancing it with the musical aspect thanks to the two different timelines and visual styles that I thought were clever. While Lopez gets lead credit this is not her film but instead focuses on the two men and their time in this prison together.
​
The scenes and dialogue between Luna and Tonatiuh are fantastic. It is the cement to this film and void of any musical numbers that allows it to keep the heft and emotions in the forefront without getting distracted by the song and dance routines. This not only helps the story and narrative but allows them to take some creative liberties that I think elevated the film to something bigger than if they tried to balance the two. Luna is fantastic as usual, but this film is owned by Tonatiuh. He steals every scene and weaves in and out of emotions in a single blink or line giving a brilliant performance that is the power to this film.
For those Lopez fans she is still front and center with her primary focus being on the singing and dancing that serves good for her. Whether a fan or not she knows how to perform and brings the energy and old school persona to each of these numbers even if like me you aren’t a fan. Where this shines for me outside of Tonatiuh’s outstanding performance is the shift in styles between the stories. When in prison it is dark, dirty, drab and serious, shot like a standard film in line with the tone of the dialogue. But when Molina tells the film story it turns into something totally different.
The musical side and his retelling of the film go full on old Hollywood in vibrant colors, dance numbers, and even technical aspects of the shooting. It felt like a mix of the stage and films from the 60s and 70s complete with the actions and movements of the cast and the specific camera angles. It is a stark contrast to the other side of the story by design and elevates the film to something clever, heartbreaking and uplifting all while hiding those dark undertones behind it all as it comes to its finale.
I admit I enjoyed this film way more than I thought I would and while not something I would usually check out was impressed with the execution. Not sure if it will get the award season nod, I am sure it is hoping for, but I hope that if nothing else Tonatiuh is recognized in some way for his brilliance in the film.
Decide for yourself and check out Kiss of the Spider Woman now on VOD from Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions.