Sundance Review: ‘Kiss of the Spider Woman’ is an Ambitious Musical That Has Its Moments

Those who have nothing in common sometimes end up becoming the best of friends in unexpected situations. Being randomly selected or forced to live together is one such scenario, especially in a prison facility, where there’s no escape possible and cellmates have to spend all their time together. Bill Condon’s Kiss of the Spider Woman, a musical version of the Oscar-winning 1985 film of the same name, follows two individuals who forge an incredibly close bond through their shared attempts to break free of the confines of their imprisonment.

In the 1980s in Argentina, Valentin Arregui (Diego Luna) is being held by the military junta. His new cellmate is Luis Molina (Tonatiuh), whose flamboyance and incessant chatter initially irritate Valentin. But as Molina obsesses over his favorite classic film star, Ingrid Luna (Jennifer Lopez), regaling Valentin with the plot of one of her best movies becomes a nightly ritual. As the warden dangles the possibility of a release in exchange for Molina getting information out of Valentin, the two begin to understand each other much more and come to depend on the unique company that they’ve formed in this desolate situation. 

This film is actually based on the 1976 book by Manuel Puig and 1993 Tony-winning musical, but audiences will find plenty to recognize if their reference is the film. This cinematic musical uses all the tools the medium offers to create lavish, colorful sets for every scene in which Luna and the villain of the movie-within-a-movie, the Spider Woman, also played by Lopez, appear. Those stand in stark contrast to the grim nature of their cell, which includes a curtain to help them forget, maybe just for a minute, that their toilet is located just behind it only a few feet from where they sleep and spend each day. The juxtaposition even just in color palette is jarring, making it truly feel as if these are two different worlds.

While Molina’s recounting of his beloved movie is meant to take them and audiences out of the prison misery, the shift does feel a bit strong and it can be hard to stay invested as a result each time the always blinding sets first flash on screen. The excess and overacting by Lopez – and Tonatiuh and Luna, who imagine themselves in roles opposite the famed actress – is deliberate, serving as both homage to and parody of an era of filmmaking that today feels like a sincere relic of the past. It’s possible that a slightly more reserved interpretation might have been more effective, ensuring a smoother transition as the film shifts constantly back and forth between its two primary locations. 

The musical numbers are big and bold, full of backup dancers and layered lyrics complemented by dazzling visuals. There is an inherently cinematic quality to the staging, and Lopez in particular does some fancy footwork sure to have audiences cheering. The hairstyling and costumes, particularly for Lopez, enhance each scene, adding even more flair and bursting imagination. The comedown from a glorious and energetic musical number back to the lackluster existence of these two people stuck in a cell together is considerable, and it’s likely that audiences will yearn for the more majestic, feel-good content in the film’s first half as these two cellmates still aren’t anywhere near on the same page. 

This film contains a trio of memorable performances. Luna (Diego, not Ingrid) is relatively subdued, but Valentin is most watchable when he gets passionate and tries to show Molina that he shouldn’t mock or denigrate himself. Lopez goes all in with everything she has for her dual role, commanding the screen with her dancing and legitimizing Molina’s obsession with her character. The true star is Tonatiuh, who imbues Molina with such optimistic energy despite the confines not only of the prison but of the country and time in which he lives that couldn’t possibly accept his fluid gender identity. Though this doesn’t always feel like just one coherent film, when it works, it’s extremely involving, full of life and vigor and a positive message about bridging divides.

Movie Rating: 6/10