Passionada (2003)
The film is a romantic comedy about the Portuguese widow of a fisherman who died at sea. The widow's teenage daughter, who wants to be a professional gambler, convinces her mother to date a British man who's new in town. The widow falls for the Brit, who pretends to be in the fishing business but is actually a professional gambler. The naïve daughter gets into some trouble.
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Such a frustrating disappointment
Good story, Not enough for a whole film
Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.
It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
Independent film making is to be commended because it brings a different view about things that are so over blown by mainstream Hollywood fare. That said, it's completely incomprehensible the negative comments generated by "Passionada". This film, directed with style by Dan Ireland, deserves better than what has been written in IMDb.Most of the venom directed to "Passionada" seems to be about its authenticity and the ethnicity of the characters being misrepresented by the cast assembled. Those complaints are baseless. Do the same people that put it down have anything to say when they watch other mainstream films that have no logic at all? I don't think so. Lighten up, people it's only a film that aims at entertaining its viewers."Passionada" is a small film about loss and redemption told in cinematic terms by a cast that plays well together. Jason Isaacs, the card sharpie Charles Beck, finds love with the dark and sultry Celia Amonte, played by Sofia Milos. Their love grows in spite of all what Charles hides from his past.Lupe Ontiveros, an excellent actress, doesn't have much to do in the film, but then it's not her story we are watching. Emmy Rossum is the rebel daughter. Seymour Cassel and Theresa Russell are fine in their small roles.The town of New Bedford, Massachussets, serves as the perfect background for this romantic comedy.
I do agree with the comments I have read. The film is a fine romantic pic, and when I wasn't thinking it pretended to be about Portuguese people who live in USA, I almost enjoyed it. I think films have a double role: to entertain and teach us something. What can people, who don't know Portugal or Portuguese people, learn with a film about "Portuguese", if people doesn't speak Portuguese, and even their names aren't common Portuguese names and surnames? It's a kind of arrogance and ignorance to make a film about Portuguese and be misinformed that much. Only in Hollywood, it's possible to make a film in which the only things really Portuguese are fado and sardines... Even the music at the popular party is a bad sample of Brazilian music. It's a shame!
Too bad that the most beautiful films have the skimpiest release dates. This treasure probably slipped by all but the discerning moviegoer.Passionada has going for it: Perfect Setting--New Bedford, Massachusetts, a little bit of Portugal.Perfect Casting-- Milos as Celia Andonte, a Portuguese widow. Celia is supporting her mother-in-law and teenage daughter. She sews in a textile mill by day, sings in a cabaret by night haunting Portuguese ballads. Through her singing, she tells us of her love and longing for Joseph, her dead husband.Jason Isaacs--the Brit who is a professional card counter, down on his luck. He is fascinated by Celia, a falls for her completely and very much against his own will.Emily Rossum as the teenage daughter playing her as rebellious but loving.Perfect music and background themes.MIlos as Celia is entirely believable. We know she loved her dead husband passionately, thinks she has died with him, but the passion is there. It slowly comes alive again when she meets Charley Beck (Isaacs) Charley Beck (Isaacs) plays his part so that the viewer almost falls in love with Celia through him.Passionada is an altogether satisfying experience.
Passionada is a very good movie and the first I seen that introduced America to the Portuguese Fado music. (A little was in the old film "Lisbon" with Ray Milland)Good scenery of New Bedford, Mass showing it's brief Portuguese culture to the screen which was missing in "Moby Dick" and "Down to the Sea in Ships" which was also about New Bedford.Too bad the movie was only 7 days on the big screen where I'm from because people I told about the film didn't get a chance to see it in theaters as it was no longer there when they tried to go.My only objection to the film was calling the Grandmother "Nana" as most would call her "Vavo" or "Avo".I hope it comes out on DVD in widescreen and surround sound soon.