After being cheated on by an insecure man, Brazilian chef Isabella Oliveira moves to San Francisco and finds success as the host of a cooking show.After being cheated on by an insecure man, Brazilian chef Isabella Oliveira moves to San Francisco and finds success as the host of a cooking show.After being cheated on by an insecure man, Brazilian chef Isabella Oliveira moves to San Francisco and finds success as the host of a cooking show.
- Awards
- 3 nominations
Penélope Cruz
- Isabella Oliveira
- (as Penelope Cruz)
Harold Perrineau
- Monica Jones
- (as Harold Perrineau Jr.)
John de Lancie
- Alex Reeves
- (as John De Lancie)
June Carryl
- Zeke
- (as June A. Lomena)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaAll interiors for the San Francisco scenes were shot in soundstages in Brazil.
- GoofsAs Isabella is leaving the Fish & Chips, her umbrella blows away to her right, yet the rain is falling straight down.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Jay Leno Show: Episode #1.44 (2009)
- SoundtracksBrazil
Written by Ary Barroso
Performed by Xavier Cugat and His Orchestra
Courtesy of Columbia Records
By Arrangement with Sony Music Licensing
Featured review
Penelope Cruz as "Isabella" is the only actor of note in this very entertaining film I rate "7" of 10. From birth in Brazil she has suffered from motion sickness. The only way she can avoid it during "movement" activities is to be in control. So she drives the bike while the boy sits on the back. She takes the stairs instead of the elevator. The name of the film comes from where she has to be during sex to avoid getting sick. When she goes to S.F. she pays the cab driver extra to let her drive.
Isabella also developed a keen cooking ability, more like "fabulous" and just the scent of her food drives men crazy. She and her husband have a very successful restaurant where she cooks and he "entertains". She leaves Brazil and moves in with a friend in S.F. after she finds her husband cheating on her, after all he "has to be on top" occasionally. She has a voodoo lady cast a spell so she won't love her husband anymore. She gets discovered and has an immediate hit TV cooking show. The young producer tries hard for her hand but he really is too much of a nerd.
Her husband doesn't give up. He recognizes his "mistake" and follows her to S.F. and keeps trying until he makes amends, but she still has to reverse the spell to be able to love her husband again.
The film is very well done and both funny and genuinely entertaining. I cannot understand how so any viewers rated it anything under 5 or 6, which many did. My rating of "7" is a very solid one, similar in overall enjoyment to films like "Return to Me" or "Forces of Nature" or "Hope Floats". I saw it on DVD and the surround sound was used very effectively. The Latin flavor music throughout was also very nice.
Isabella also developed a keen cooking ability, more like "fabulous" and just the scent of her food drives men crazy. She and her husband have a very successful restaurant where she cooks and he "entertains". She leaves Brazil and moves in with a friend in S.F. after she finds her husband cheating on her, after all he "has to be on top" occasionally. She has a voodoo lady cast a spell so she won't love her husband anymore. She gets discovered and has an immediate hit TV cooking show. The young producer tries hard for her hand but he really is too much of a nerd.
Her husband doesn't give up. He recognizes his "mistake" and follows her to S.F. and keeps trying until he makes amends, but she still has to reverse the spell to be able to love her husband again.
The film is very well done and both funny and genuinely entertaining. I cannot understand how so any viewers rated it anything under 5 or 6, which many did. My rating of "7" is a very solid one, similar in overall enjoyment to films like "Return to Me" or "Forces of Nature" or "Hope Floats". I saw it on DVD and the surround sound was used very effectively. The Latin flavor music throughout was also very nice.
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Details
Box office
- Budget
- $8,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $5,020,111
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $2,008,191
- Sep 24, 2000
- Gross worldwide
- $10,194,274
- Runtime1 hour 32 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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