Kiss of the Spider Woman

Watched at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.

The original "Kiss of the Spider Woman" from 1985 is pretty good, while it does have it's fault, it's an ambitious tale of romance, politics, and meta-fiction. Based on the musical version of "Kiss of the Spider Woman", this adaptation is a mixed bag for me. I appreciate several aspects as the camerawork, the production designs, and a new direction approach from Bill Condon does offer a grand and new upscale vision of the source material. Orchestrated with some interesting musical numbers and score compositions throughout.

The performances are mostly solid as they are able to offer their emotions and attachments. What makes this not fully work is due to it's narrative being uneven with how it wants to approach it's themes and the characters, unlike the original movie (yes, I understand it is based on the musical adaptation and it's different), felt lacking with any emotional connections. Condon direction seems to struggle with certain aspects that don't feel fully balanced and ends up feeling more unstable and unmemorable.

Despite good musical score, some of the musical lyrics don't really hit a punch. Many aspects are too recapture the period times of musical eras and while I do appreciate the new approach, it doesn't feel memorable and at times, feels repetitive. Alongside with some strange dialogue choices that felt out of place.

Overall, I am left with more mixed feelings as I do love the atmosphere and the new direction it takes, but it's uneven narrative and lack of emotional connection doesn't work for me.

Anyone that thinks this movie can be compared to the masterpiece that JULIA' was part of is looking at the world through a lens that is twisted. The fact that anyone can associate the value of someones character with the WAY they have sex is sick on a new level of shallow! I have 1 TRANS child and a WIFE that is BISEXUAL. I would never judge any of my family members based on skin color, religious beliefs, or who they do or do not have sex with. Judging someone on ANY other level, outside of the way they treat other people is just another form of bigotry and dressing it up as anything else is only pretending to value people when you are really passing judgment on them. Stating that you love someone for being gay or trans or black or white or brown is NO DIFFERENT than hating them for it. Using sex or skin to pass judgment on ANYONE, good or bad is just showing a mental illness that the person judging should really get help with. People should be decent for the sake of decency, not assume they are good or bad for any other reason! This society is spinning down a dark dark hole and calling it elevation. Putting new labels on something does not change what that something is. WAKE UP!!

... such are the eyes through which we see the world nowadays. Nonetheless, a story of two people catching each other in their own webs and becoming more than just cellmates. Superbly acted and directed, if not a little dated.

We've come a long way since this was written and released, we see the world through different eyes, have different perspectives on what is acceptable and what is not. This film would not be made today, like so many films of the past that had themes that were challenging, but subsequently turn out to be considerably different from what society will tolerate some years later. You decide, read between the lines.

From the looks of this preview, I can only see that they look to grift off of the likes of "Evita" and other such musicals. But what I don't see in the preview is any evolution of the MAN in the movie. As far as the preview goes, it's all about the WOMAN. Now if the movie is all about the woman, then great, but if it's about the man, SHAME ON YOU!!!!!

Apparently I need another 600 words, I don't know what words they want to fill this review of a preview but by God I will give them their 600 words. As Luney toons will tell you. I'm great at shutting up. No one can shut up as well as I can. In fact. No one is better at shutting up than I can be, that's me, the shutting upister of every shutting uper. Why do I say this. Because Youtube will not allow a very simple, very consise, and very "to the point" review of a preview of a movie. Don't ask me why. I dn'nt know.

Just got out of the first screening for this film at Sundance 2025. I am beyond blown away, the film is such a beautiful rendition of a familiar story, the cinemetography is so grand and upscale and are matched by grand and terrific performances by the films cast but the real start of this film of course is Jennifer Lopez. The choreography, the singing and the character work here is splended. I anticipate this will very likely garner her a 3rd Golden Globe nomination (Hopefully Win!) and hopefully her first Oscar Nomination. After the tumultuous and very forced hate train of last year (Which was clearly orchestrated and manufactured) Jennifer Lopez deserves to have the praise she will without a doubt receive from this role. Bravo!