Bossa Nova (2000)

I like the storyline of this show,it attract me so much

Memorable, crazy movie

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Warning: All cynics should avoid this movie like the plague!!! Full of contrivances and cliches, ridden with all the typical plot elements of any kind of ensemble romance piece, this film on the outset seems like nothing new. But there's just something about it I couldn't let go of-maybe it was the beautiful Rio de Janeiro backdrop that this film is set against. Maybe it's the opportunity to see Amy Irving once again in all her glory. I don't know which, but the lady should definitely be in more movies, especially in ones where her husband directs her and therefore gives her the best role and makes her the most sympathetic in the film. Irving stars as Mary Ann Simpson, an English teacher in Rio who teaches classes by night and private students by day. Across the hall from her classes is the shop of an elderly tailor, whose lawyer son Pedro Paulo (Antônio Fagundes) is helping his father get out of an alimony fix that involves a much younger wife. One night Pedro Paulo runs into our heroine on the elevator, and love at first sight is born. Right away he forgets about Tania, the ex-wife (Débora Bloch) he was having trouble letting go of, and goes after this mysterious new woman in his life. Along the sidelines there are plots that involve Irving's student Nadine (Drica Moraes) and her online romance with a SoHo artist `Gary', and another regarding the lawyer's intern Sharon (Giovana Antonelli) and her romance with both her boss' brother Roberto and the famous soccer player Acacio (Alexandre Borges), who also happens to be taking private English lessons from Mary Ann. All these lines cross and meet and even out in perfect form, and yet somehow at its most typical the film manages to be at its most enjoyable, possibly because Barreto has such a good time entertaining his audience that one can't help but dive right in. Worth a good look.

This movie warmed up a very cool afternoon on the northeast side of the U.S. I like to see Brazil through the perception of a native born director such as Bruno Barreto (Gabriela). I simply loved that movie also.I hate those producers/directors whose mission in life is to go abroad and show the world the ugly side of most countries. I am always seeing movies about Brazil where the main theme is poverty and the slums of Rio. Some of those producers/directors, should go in front of and across the street from the White House: Yes, in Washington D.C. and make a movie about the homeless that sit there all year long including during the long winter, snow and all! That is sad! I don't even need a plot, just give me that type of photography of Rio and Bossa-Nova and who needs anything more! The script is witty, realistic to the Brazil I know, the characters are funny and full of idiosyncracies. I loved the Brazilian law clerk all casual and being herself. You would never see that in the U.S.! I love the work of Antonio Fagundes (A Compadecida) (whom I used to see all the time having coffee at a little coffee shop in Sumare, Sao Paulo, where Channel 4 used to be and where he did so many fun soap-operas). I love the work of Amy Irving (Yentl, The Competition). Way to go Amy. Way to go Amy and Bruno, show the world some of the lovely side of that beautiful country! I loved this movie! Saudades!

"Bossa Nova" has lots of great shots of Rio de Janerio, and lots of pretty actors, and a soundtrack that combines old and new bossa nova tunes. Unfortunately that's about all it has going for it.The film is about the romance between an American woman who teaches English to the wealthy and her corporate lawyer student who bears a striking resemblance to Marcello Mastroianni. Both of them are supposed to be in their early to mid-forties.The age aspect is one problem I have with this film. I'm not against middle-age romance on film, but it's just so obvious that Antonio Fagundes is closer to fifty.Another problem I have is with Amy Irving's acting skills. At times, it's obvious she's reading straight off a cue card. Good actors never let us see them working.But the biggest complaint I have about this film is the plot, or rather the lack thereof. The film is filled with lots of confusing little subplots, some of which never resolve themselves. This, I guess, is to distract the audience from the fact that the main plot is so threadbare.Many American critics have praised this film. This is largely, I believe, because it is not an American film and was not bankrolled by a major Hollywood studio. However, I always use the same barometer to judge a film, regardless of its origin or pedigree. I give this film the same criticism I would give to a film such as "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" or "The Horse Whisperer": It's beautiful to look at, but once you get past the scenery and the actors' looks, there's not much left. I give this film a 6 out of 10.

Although I saw it alone, it made me wish I were on a date. First of all, I've always been a lover of Brazilian music, and this movie is chock full of it, with a heavy emphasis on Antonio Carlos ("Tom") Jobim.It's not another *Gone with the Wind* or *Casablanca*, but who can resist the blue sky and water of Rio de Janeiro, with Sugarloaf Mountain looming over the city and the azure sea? This all might have been wasted if the cinematography Hollywood competent, which it is. It made me want to move to Brazil at the first possible opportunity.The story is comic and tragic at the same time. Amy Irving is delightful. The rest of the cast is generally more than competent.All in all, it was 2 hours very well spent.