IMDb user comments for
Bossa Nova (2000)

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30 comments in total

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12 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
A gem of a movie for those of us of a certain age, 15 March 2003

Author: (glynn@cloud9.net) from Westchester County, NY

I've had this video in my armoire for many months and finally got around to watching it last night. What a complete delight it was! Quirky, interesting, sweet-natured. As a middle-aged single I particularly enjoyed the romantic plot strand involving two people of my vintage. Amy Irving is incandescent as always. This movie has a wonderfully European (okay, Brazilian) feel and sensibility. Not the usual canned Hollywood fare.

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9 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
Ahhhh! Two tickets to Rio, please., 5 October 2000

Author: George Parker from Orange County, CA USA

"Bossa Nova" is a fun and light hearted film about the romantic involvements of an ensemble of diverse but interconnected characters including one relationship hatched over the Internet. This charming little film features plenty of samabas, postcard panoramas of the Copacabana, and a 90 minute story which moves along quickly and will leave a smile on your face.

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7 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Made me want to take off my sandals and stroll on the beach, 26 September 2000
Author: Swangirl from United States

Let's be honest. Bossa Nova is not a heavy weight film. Nor does it pretend to be. That's its core charm. A bit frothy, yes, but leaves a sweet aftertaste that happily lingers for days.

I hadn't seen Amy Irving (Mary Ann) in quite a while and was glad to see her in this film. Her timid interplay with Faguendes (Pedro Paul) was sweet and touching. I enjoyed watching their love story unfold. Faguendes is obviously a well-known, beloved actor in his home country. It's the first time I've seen his work and I can see why he's so popular.

But there's plenty more to take note of. Watching Faguendes' family ties nearly unravel is almost heartbreaking at times. To see three generations is almost unheard of in today's movies. I was pleased to see it.

The other subplots are equally fun. The soon-to-be exported Brazilian soccer player's quest to learn how to curse in English is hilarious. And watching the girl dream of her online "boyfriend" is something many of us can relate to. Not to mention the soulful longing of the young man (Pedro Paul's son)who wants her but isn't brave enough to state his case.

All this plays out against an almost idyllic backdrop of sand dunes, towering mountains, charming cafes and crashing surf. Sure, it may not be the entire face of Rio but would you want to see the sewers in New York City? I doubt it. I've never been to Rio but this movie had me dreamily considering it.

Jobim's music, by the way, is the perfect choice. Like sunlight on water...

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Postcards from Rio, 22 January 2008

Author: Aluísio Parondi (nem.freud.explica@gmail.com) from South Burlington, Vermont, USA

Most Brazilians complain that Brazilian movies only show the poverty and the arid landscapes of Northeast Brazil. I particularly think that we shouldn't conceal the sad reality of so many places in Brazil, and films like "Central Station" and "City of God" are brilliant in their own right. But we can't deny that there should be more Brazilian movies out there showing all the beauty from this country, and "Bossa Nova" is one of those rare movies.

Director Bruno Barreto ("Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands") doesn't try to start a socio-political speech here. He cast his own wife Amy Irving as a charming American lady who teaches English in Rio, and falls in love with one of her students, a lawyer played by mature leading man Antonio Fagundes. Barreto's intention was to make a romantic comedy in Rio de Janeiro, dedicated to/inspired by Tom Jobim and François Truffaut. Not an art-house flick, not an Oscar movie. Just an enjoyable love story with great music and beautiful landscapes. And he succeeded. Far from being a masterpiece, "Bossa Nova" is a lovely film that should be seen by anyone who'd like to spend some pleasant 95 minutes, watching a not so popular (at least, not as it should be) side of this unique country. 7.5/10.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
Antidote to "City of God", 20 October 2005

Author: eddieknocker from London

Don't get me wrong - "City of God" is a cracking film. This film is for when you want a rest from the wave of ultra violent films that have streamed out of Brasil in the last few years. This is a lovely,light romantic comedy with elements of farce and fantasy. It was the directors intention to show a picture postcard version of Rio. And he succeeds wonderfully. This film probably resonates more with me than most because I met and married a Brazilian in Rio and we shared a first kiss in front of the Copacabana Palace Hotel (were you spying on us Mister Barreto?) And I would just like to point out that I am not middle-aged and still know how to have a good time so ignore all the comments saying this film is for the oldies - since when did romance have an age limit?!

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2 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
**** Wonderful romance set in beautiful Rio, 28 March 2001
Author: Bil-3 from Toronto, Ontario

Warning: All cynics should avoid this movie like the plague!!! Full of contrivances and cliches, ridden with all the typical plot elements of any kind of ensemble romance piece, this film on the outset seems like nothing new. But there's just something about it I couldn't let go of-maybe it was the beautiful Rio de Janeiro backdrop that this film is set against. Maybe it's the opportunity to see Amy Irving once again in all her glory. I don't know which, but the lady should definitely be in more movies, especially in ones where her husband directs her and therefore gives her the best role and makes her the most sympathetic in the film. Irving stars as Mary Ann Simpson, an English teacher in Rio who teaches classes by night and private students by day. Across the hall from her classes is the shop of an elderly tailor, whose lawyer son Pedro Paulo (Antônio Fagundes) is helping his father get out of an alimony fix that involves a much younger wife. One night Pedro Paulo runs into our heroine on the elevator, and love at first sight is born. Right away he forgets about Tania, the ex-wife (Débora Bloch) he was having trouble letting go of, and goes after this mysterious new woman in his life. Along the sidelines there are plots that involve Irving's student Nadine (Drica Moraes) and her online romance with a SoHo artist `Gary', and another regarding the lawyer's intern Sharon (Giovana Antonelli) and her romance with both her boss' brother Roberto and the famous soccer player Acacio (Alexandre Borges), who also happens to be taking private English lessons from Mary Ann. All these lines cross and meet and even out in perfect form, and yet somehow at its most typical the film manages to be at its most enjoyable, possibly because Barreto has such a good time entertaining his audience that one can't help but dive right in. Worth a good look.

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3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
Pretty pictures, interesting soundtrack, but not much else., 8 July 2000

Author: Bruce Burns (burnsb319@earthlink.net) from Austin, Texas

"Bossa Nova" has lots of great shots of Rio de Janerio, and lots of pretty actors, and a soundtrack that combines old and new bossa nova tunes. Unfortunately that's about all it has going for it.

The film is about the romance between an American woman who teaches English to the wealthy and her corporate lawyer student who bears a striking resemblance to Marcello Mastroianni. Both of them are supposed to be in their early to mid-forties.

The age aspect is one problem I have with this film. I'm not against middle-age romance on film, but it's just so obvious that Antonio Fagundes is closer to fifty.

Another problem I have is with Amy Irving's acting skills. At times, it's obvious she's reading straight off a cue card. Good actors never let us see them working.

But the biggest complaint I have about this film is the plot, or rather the lack thereof. The film is filled with lots of confusing little subplots, some of which never resolve themselves. This, I guess, is to distract the audience from the fact that the main plot is so threadbare.

Many American critics have praised this film. This is largely, I believe, because it is not an American film and was not bankrolled by a major Hollywood studio. However, I always use the same barometer to judge a film, regardless of its origin or pedigree. I give this film the same criticism I would give to a film such as "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" or "The Horse Whisperer": It's beautiful to look at, but once you get past the scenery and the actors' looks, there's not much left. I give this film a 6 out of 10.

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3 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
After enduring the execrable Anaconda, thank God for Bossa Nova, 19 June 2000
Author: M2b from new york city

This film is a delightful romantic comedy and shows off the director's love for the city of Rio. A film that Brasilian Americans can be proud of instead of ashamed of like they were at the pathetic Anaconda from summer's past. I wish all NorteAmericanos could see this flick to experience the unique beauty of Rio. Yes, it's idealized and doesn't

show the bad with the good, but this is true of many many movies. Gladiator made ancient Rome glamorous, which it was not. Rio, on the other hand, is a city filled with unique beauty, as anyone who has ever been to Sugarloaf or Corcavado can attest to. For those who may be curious, my imdb handle of M2b means married-2-Brasil and you can

easily fugure out what that means. I loved this flick. See

it and see it in wide screen, not video!

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
The funniest Brazilian comedy movie since Oscarito's, 1 November 2007
Author: Marcello Freitas from Brazil

Funny, romantic, multilingual... There is a lot to say about this movie. It's one of those that put Brazilian cinema again in the path of quality. It's a good surprise seeing Bruno Barreto, who directed many erotic movies, did a very nice piece without any nudity, even with lots of babes in the cast. The story is about the romantic involvement between Pedro (Antônio Fagundes, our senior superstar) and Mary Ann (Amy Irving) and lots of funny things that happen around them. I could say I don't like Irving's performance because she looked very bored all the time. She was there only because she was Mr. Barreto's wife. On the other hand, all Brazilians were terrific, with lots of good acting from Alexandre Borges (Romario's alter-ego), Drica Moraes (Mary Ann's friend who dated with an American through e-mail), Giovanna Antonelli, Pedro Cardoso, Débora Bloch, and so many others that shine even in small roles. I particularly like Alberto De Mendoza (the tailor, Pedro's father), Spanish-speaker , helping his son on impressing the English teacher, in a very unusual way - watch it and check it out. If the movie's plot was not so original, I tell it doesn't matter. As in Centralstation, the most important is how the story is told, the cast quality, music score, and so many other things that make the real difference. I really recommend this movie for people from all nations, since the comedy shown there is universal.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Feel good film and amazing visuals of Rio, 13 November 2006

Author: kckrause from Southern California

Yes this is not a "deep" movie, but it made me feel good! It shows the beautiful side of Rio, the spontaneous optimism of Cariocas in very beautiful visuals on screen. It is very funny and touching at times, covering several lives and relationships between Gringoes and Cariocas. A Gringoe that escaped to Rio and made a new life, a famous Soccer player getting ready to leave his beloved Rio, a Carioca couple going through a rough patch and a Carioca in love with her online Gringoe. I feel the happiness they feel about life even though they deal with death, betrayal, loss... It makes you feel good about this life we all live, even if it does not show the "bad" side of Rio. If you want to escape into a modern Hollywood version of a Gringoe in Rio interacting with Cariocas, this is it!

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