PASSIONADA (2002)
Reviewed by Jerry Saravia
(Originally reviewed in 2003)
(Originally reviewed in 2003)
I wanted to like "Passionada" so much more than I had, but it is my duty to be honest. For its high likability factor alone, "Passionada" is worthwile pursuing for an evening of light entertainment. Still, it is so formulaic and predictable to the core that you wonder what might have been if it pursued some of its less formulaic elements.
Sofia Milos is the Portuguese singer and factory worker, Celia Amonte, a dedicated mother and widow who is still in mourning over the death of her first and only love, a fisherman who died at sea. Celia has a precocious teenage daughter, Vicky (Emmy Rossum), and a wayward mother-in-law, Angelica (Lupe Ontiveros). Celia lives with her daughter, and the mother-in-law lives right above them where she can watch every move they make. One night at a restaurant club where the exotic Celia sings, a patron from the audience, Charles Beck (Jason Issacs), takes a fancy to her singing and her beauty. He gets the nerve to introduce himself and asks her out twice - both times he is rejected. Enter Vicky (who has a thing for setting up her mother on Internet dates) who works out a deal with Charles (whom she knows from the local casino gaming tables) - if he teaches her how to count cards, she'll arrange a date with her mother. Of course, we are aware that Charles is a con man, a trickster who has been banned from nearly every casino. He is not wealthy and lives in a motel with financial support from fellow buddy, Daniel (Seymour Cassel, in a trademark role) and his pretty wife, Lois (Theresa Russell, completely wasted in an empty role. Can this be the same actress who startled us in "Black Widow" and "Crimes of Passion"?)
"Passionada" is by-the-numbers in every respect. We know Charles will woo Celia and eventually bed her, and we do know he will not immediately reveal his gambling past. There is even a scene where Lois is seen picking up Charles at the motel where Celia conveniently happens to be riding along and spots them, thereby assuming the worst. We have seen all these scenes before, including the inevitable happy ending where fish is used to...well, you probably will anticipate it.
There is a curious subplot where Vicky pretends to go on dates when she dresses up and goes to the casino - does she like to gamble or is she looking for Mr. Right? Is she only toying with Charles or does she really know how to count cards? If she does know how to count, was she hoping that Charles would be interested in her, not her mother? There is an insinuation there that the writers did not anticipate.
"Passionada" is well-acted, especially the dark-curly-haired Sofia Milos (best known for her role in TV's "C.S.I. Miami") who brings a balanced act of reserve and outrage, and even comic outrage at her daughter's comings-and-goings at night. I also enjoyed the live wire performance by Emmy Rossum, whom you might remember as Sean Penn's daughter in "Mystic River." Lupe Ontiveros is also superb with her double takes as the mother-in-law who does have a heart after all.
Less impressive is Charles Beck - yes, he has wit to spare but seems unbelievable as a con-man (imagine what Clive Owen of "Croupier" fame might have done with this). Theresa Russell is a disaster in every respect, merely walking through her part instead of embodying it. It is a fruitless role, as is Seymour Cassel's who at least keeps his humor intact. Eliminate these two characters, Lois and Daniel, focus on Celia and her family and her sad songs and her Portuguese background, and we might have had a truly passionate movie instead of the stale though enjoyable dramatics on display here.
