Kiss of the Spider Woman

Ingrid Luna (Jennifer Lopez) in the film-within-a-film in Kiss of the Spider Woman (Distributed by Lionsgate, Roadside Attractions and LD Entertainment)

Kiss of the Spider Woman is a drama about political prisoners who escape their confinement by imagining an old-Hollywood musical. The story juxtaposes their horrifying predicament with a 1950s-style fantasia featuring glossy visuals, spectacular costumes and fancifully choreographed dance numbers. The shifts are intentionally jarring, taking the audience from harsh reality to lush fantasy. At least until things turn halfway through and the movie they are retelling becomes a metaphor for their relationship.

It is well-made, with good pacing, but too stagey and broad. There are moments bordering on camp. It is based on a Broadway musical and definitely feels like it, with one performance in particular that is playing to the cheap seats. It is a fine story, yet the production does not contain a lot of power. It comes off as forced, like the path of the story is inevitable, regardless of whether or not it earns its emotions. Though it doesn’t, really, there is still enough here to warrant a look.

It is 1983 Argentina. Revolutionary Valentin has been arrested and tortured (or “interrogated”) for information. Molina, a gay man, was arrested as a sex offender and has been thrown into Valentin’s cell to spy on him. As he attempts to ingratiate himself to Valentin, Molina transports them by relating the plot of a beloved movie.

Kiss of the Spider Woman (123 minutes, without the end credits) looks for the beauty in our minds, that can only be accessed by art, even under the worst of conditions. That aspect of this movie is unfortunately unconvincing. The scenes of Valentin and Molina in their cell, getting to know one another, are pretty clunky. It picks up a bit once they have bonded but, for a while, I preferred the honest artifice of the musical to the artificial realism of the main narrative.

Molina (Tonatiuh) cares for Valentin (Diego Luna)

Diego Luna is a good actor who is not given enough (metaphorical) space to craft a genuine person. Valentin is a symbolic rebel and his new friend is a symbolic victim. Tonatiuh is good as Molina, yet the character is such a cliché that his entire arc feels false.

Oddly, what works the best is the film-within-the-film. Molina is infatuated with a starlet named Ingrid Luna, specifically her kitschy musical Kiss of the Spider Woman. That is a formulaic romance with forgettable songs, entertaining dancing and believably over-the-top performances. It is fun, even after the heavier themes begin to cross over.

Jennifer Lopez is a great choice to play the lead, her effortless charisma making exposition and depth irrelevant. Luna and Tonatiuh show up here as well, as her love interest and trusted assistant, respectively. However, writer/director Bill Condon lets Lopez shine, showing off her skills in a way that validates Molina’s love for the idea of her. The song and/or dance sequences are absolutely the highlight.

It feels like there should be a deep message inside Kiss of the Spider Woman. Something about how art brings us together and frees us from oppression. It doesn’t come close to seeing that concept through. The military dictatorship of Argentina isn’t a great setting for feel-good entertainment, which it seems like is what Condon was aiming for. He partially gets it right. There are some pleasures and some big ideas. Even if they don’t connect, there are still the charms of an old-Hollywood musical to be had.

3 out of 5

Cast:

Diego Luna as Valentin Arregui and Armando

Tonatiuh as Luis Molina and Kendall Nesbit

Jennifer Lopez as Aurora, Ingrid Luna and Spider Woman

Written/Directed by Bill Condon