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Woman on Top (2000)

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All Critics
Top Critics

Average Rating: 4.7/10
Reviews Counted: 97
Fresh: 33 | Rotten: 64

Despite Penelope Cruz's beauty and charm, the movie is too tepid to be a romance and too silly to be believable. And the movie is too eager to please with an ending that seems more like a cop out.

Average Rating: 4.6/10
Critic Reviews: 29
Fresh: 9 | Rotten: 20

Despite Penelope Cruz's beauty and charm, the movie is too tepid to be a romance and too silly to be believable. And the movie is too eager to please with an ending that seems more like a cop out.

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Average Rating: 3/5
User Ratings: 7,686

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Movie Info

Love, sex, and food combine in this sensuous romantic comedy. Isabella (Penelope Cruz) is a master chef who suffers from severe motion sickness, requiring her to be in control of her movements at all times. This need extends to the bedroom, but her husband Tonino (Murilo Benicio), who owns the restaurant where she works, doesn't like to make love in the fashion suggested by the title. This is hardly the only thing about their relationship that she finds stifling, and when Isabella discovers

R, 1 hr. 23 min.

Drama, Romance, Comedy

Directed By: Fina Torres

Written By: Vera Blasi

In Theaters: Sep 22, 2000 Wide

On DVD: Dec 18, 2001

Box Office:$4.5M

Fox Searchlight

Woman on Top Trailer & Photos

Cast

Penelope Cruz
Isabella Oliveira
Murilo Ben�cio
Toninho Oliveira
Harold Perrineau Jr.
Monica Jones
Mark Feuerstein
Cliff Lloyd
John DeLancie
Alex Reeves
Wagner Moura
Rafi

Critic Reviews for Woman on Top

All Critics (114) | Top Critics (32) | Fresh (33) | Rotten (64) | DVD (11)

The film is something of a subtle accomplishment -- a commingling of froth, sensuality and moral awareness that somehow works.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Sacramento Bee

| Comment

Joe Baltake

Sacramento Bee

Top Critic

Flavor? Amusingly piquant with traces of honey. Aftertaste? Thin.

January 1, 2000 Full Review Source: Detroit News

| Comment

Susan Stark

Detroit News

Top Critic

It's all coy and fey -- and painless to digest.

January 1, 2000 Comment

Andy Seiler

USA Today

Top Critic

There's a forced sprightliness, here, that reminds me too much of how people get at the end of a party -- you know, when they've stopped having fun but can't quite muster the will to leave or clean up the trash and vomit.

January 1, 2000 Comment

Jay Boyar

Orlando Sentinel

Top Critic

Penelope Cruz and little else in this so-so comedy

January 2, 2011 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media

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Scott G. Mignola

Common Sense Media

"Woman On Top" is a chick flick with so much colorfully spicy Brazilian food being passed around as a shared aphrodisiac, that audience couples will be running out the cinema for food and bed.

May 16, 2009 Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com

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Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

Cruz smolders with sexuality.

September 16, 2007 Full Review Source: Bangor Daily News (Maine)

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Christopher Smith

Bangor Daily News (Maine)

Wildly mediocre.

September 23, 2006 Full Review Source: Supercala.com

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John Venable

Supercala.com

May remind you of Like Water For Chocolate without the tragedy and subtitles.

July 1, 2004 Full Review Source: Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)

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Judith Egerton

Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY) Source: Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY)

How is it possible for a movie about two hot Latin lovers and spicy South American food, to be so bland?

December 30, 2003 Full Review Source: Three Movie Buffs

| Comment

Scott Nash

Three Movie Buffs

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Woman on Top

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Other than crazy sexy Penelope Cruz, I think Harold Perrineau was my favorite part! Sassy crossdresser. Fab! However, I think the story kinda lacked and shouldn't have ended like it did (she went back to the jerk who cheated on her?! Really?!) ... BUT! I did like the fairytale aspect of it (I'm such a sucker for that kind of stuff) and it was pretty sexy.

September 2, 2010