Kiss of the Spider Woman

Kiss Of The Spider Woman has an intriguing premise, but it consistently undermines it's purpose with scattershot direction, aimless ambition and a lead performance that fizzles more than sparks. Now, I've never seen the 1985 original or read the book by Manuel Puig. However, I can confidently assume that this rendition of the film is missing some very key elements to the story, at least that's how it feels as you're watching it.

As the film within the film plays on, it feels completely disconnected from the jail cell we share with our 2 exquisite actors. It's not until the climax that things start to come together but it all feels just a bit unearned and pointless. The story was told in such a way that it did not start to interest me until the last quarter of the film. Disappointing as this story is a good one.

On another note, Jennifer Lopez is a good dancer and a good actress. There's no denying that. Where she faulters is her singing. Flat, the entire film. Not once was there a stand out moment for her, and she is supposed to be the film's centerpiece. It's not all J. Lo's fault though, the songs they were making her sing are incredibly lackluster.

Not one shred of pizzazz or sparkle. I couldn't wait for the songs to end so we could get back to the story, which was far more interesting than whatever Bill Condon thought he was bringing to the table with this disasterous musical that, if I'm being honest, didn't need to be a musical at all.

Overall, I didn't hate everything about it. Diego Luna and Tonatiuh are both excellent and their side of the story is easily the best part of the film. However, as far as musicals go, this was a complete miss. Almost as bad as the Cats remake. Not quite, but almost.

2 Kisses out of 5.

I found Kiss of the Spider Woman disappointing, mainly because Jennifer Lopez's performance felt self-indulgent and disconnected from the story. Rather than serving the plot, her presence seemed focused on drawing attention to herself, which made her scenes distracting.

The rest of the cast delivered strong performances that carried the film's tone and emotion, but Lopez's portrayal broke the immersion and weakened the overall impact. It's a shame, because the movie had potential just not with this kind of performance at its center.

I won't spoil anything, but I was disappointed when I saw it.

I had only seen the first trailer, and I thought the plot was about a movie star from the 1950s-60s but it turned out to be totally different.

They had some genuinely good and authentic ideas, but it felt like they tried to cram them all in a bit too forcefully.

I gave it that rating because the movie offered some glimpses into the Argentine dictatorship, which made me want to learn more about it.

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.

I've always had a deep fondness for Héctor Babenco's 1984 version. With Jennifer Lopez and Diego Luna both artists I admire in the cast of this new musical adaptation, my expectations were high. But the truth is, this film, its budget, and the cultural legacy inherited from both the novel and the original movie were simply too big for Bill Condon to handle. There's a pervasive sense of unfinishedness hanging over the whole thing.

Honestly, the moment they invited Ben Affleck to the premiere, it was clear where things were headed no studio that truly believes in its film feels the need for such a clumsy PR stunt.