Kiss of the Spider Woman

Valentín, a political prisoner, shares a cell with Molina, a window dresser convicted of public indecency. The two form an unlikely bond as Molina recounts the plot of a Hollywood musical starring his favorite silver screen diva, Ingrid Luna.

No stranger to the Festival (Gods and Monsters, 1998 Sundance Film Festival) or the megaplex (Dreamgirls, The Twilight Saga, Beauty and the Beast), director Bill Condon returns with a stellar, reimagined interpretation of Kiss of the Spider Woman (previously a 1985 film and 1993 Chita Rivera–helmed, Tony-sweeping musical). Set amid Argentina’s Dirty War of the 1980s, Condon marries a textually rich historical and political drama with the flashy technicolor extravagance of an old Hollywood musical.

Jennifer Lopez is an astonishing scene-stealer in a career-highlight performance as Luna/Aurora, with showstopping musical numbers that underscore the exuberant prowess of her dancing and voice. Diego Luna delivers unrelenting revolutionary conviction as Valentín, and Tonatiuh gives his Molina a tenderhearted power and theatrical flair.

Kiss of the Spider Woman is a grounded yet sumptuous spectacle, a masterfully vivacious cinematic experience for our modern times.—Cameron Asharian

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