Woman on Top

Play trailer

Woman on Top

R

2000

1h 25m

Romance

Comedy

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

35%

Tomatometer

100 Reviews

42%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Set to the intoxicating rhythms of Brazil, Woman on Top is a spicy, sexy comedy about the magic of food, love and music. Meet Isabella, a sultry enchantress born with the special gift of melting the palates and hearts of men everywhere. When she decides to break free from her rocky marriage and the stifling kitchen of her husband's restaurant in Brazil, she spirits off to San Francisco in pursuit of her dreams of a real culinary career.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

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.

Read Critics Reviews

Jane Crowther

BBC.com

Apr 16, 2001

3/5

Torres' playful and whimsical film is the ideal tonic for the winter blues, bursting with sunshine, fantasy, and mouth-wateringly fiery food.

Go to Full Review

Susan Stark

Detroit News

Jan 1, 2000

2/4

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

Go to Full Review

Elvis Mitchell

New York Times

Jan 1, 2000

2.5/5

This would-be spicy film has been made blandly palatable.

Go to Full Review

Jan Stuart

The Advocate

Apr 5, 2022

Torres directs it all with the requisite Doris Day sparkle and fizz, plus a heady dose of samba and scenery.

Go to Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

Nov 25, 2020

2/4

...an exceedingly lighthearted romantic comedy that never quite manages to achieve liftoff...

Go to Full Review

B. Ruby Rich

San Francisco Bay Guardian

Feb 26, 2020

Shut off the analytic sector of your brain, and the rest of you can, have a thoroughly pleasant night out at the movie theater.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Horror fan 4

@Horrorfan4life Jun 29, 2024

Penelope Cruz is the only standout in this movie. The story is cheesy and predictable.

See more

Thomas W

@Enigma0999 May 29, 2023

only thing anygood is penélope cruz.

See more

Jan 2, 2022

Started well and the premise seemed cool but the supernatural/magic bits kinda eeeeh not for me. Too much singing and music and at times seemed a bit of... fetishising cooking and some cultural aspects. A bit of a disappointment

See more

Jul 12, 2020

I personally love the movie!!!

See more

Sep 24, 2018

The term 'magical realism' is usually an oxymoron. Here? Just a moron.

See more

Steve S

@RT32687682 Nov 12, 2014

***Due to the recent RT changes that have basically ruined my past reviews, I am mostly only giving a rating rather than a full review.***

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Fina Torres

Director

Penélope Cruz

Isabella Oliveira

Murilo Benício

Toninho Oliveira

Harold Perrineau

Monica Jones

Mark Feuerstein

Cliff Lloyd

John de Lancie

Alex Reeves

I Think I Love My Wife

18%

41%

I Think I Love My Wife

Watchlist

About Adam

68%

47%

About Adam

Watchlist

Miss Simpson

73%

60%

Miss Simpson

Watchlist

Amélie

90%

95%

Amélie

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Amélie

High Fidelity

91%

90%

High Fidelity

Watchlist

TRAILER

for High Fidelity

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

Set to the intoxicating rhythms of Brazil, Woman on Top is a spicy, sexy comedy about the magic of food, love and music. Meet Isabella, a sultry enchantress born with the special gift of melting the palates and hearts of men everywhere. When she decides to break free from her rocky marriage and the stifling kitchen of her husband's restaurant in Brazil, she spirits off to San Francisco in pursuit of her dreams of a real culinary career.

Director: Fina Torres
Screenwriter: Vera Blasi
Distributor: Fox
Production Co: Fox Searchlight
Rating: R
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 22, 2000, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 25, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $5.0M
Runtime: 1h 25m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS, Surround, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings