It is a performances centric movie

Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Formulatic romantic comedy works here as we have engaging characters, heartfelt moments with a drop or two of drama thrown in to add to the roller coaster ride of just missed chances in this movie based on teh laws of attraction. There are no perfect characters here, despite Amy Irvings' casting as a widowed ESL teacher living in Aproador, directly above Ipanema, who opens up the possibility of love after two years mourning the death of her Braziian husband. The human (and longing) side of our existence has our characters taking chances outside of their comfort zones and trying to make it work, despite the obvious. This is where the comedy really works, as well as the drama. Almost every character has a love story and to detail it would spoil their reactions to the scenario they've put them selves in. Fun performances by all set to popular Bossa Nova (reworked by Deodado.. I was shocked by the credits!) . I can attest that Rio looks just like the picture postcard as in this 2000 movie as it does the many others venturing into the socio-economic-political aspect of life there that has been so well documented and filmed for a world wide audience. This movie has a limited audience due to that, be get out a little, have some fun, you're not too old.

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.

I came because of the promise of seeing some of Brazil's scenic beauty but became engrossed in the finely woven mesh of story lines. That they all reached closure of one sort or another at the end left me satisfied. But, to be honest, I wouldn't have minded another thirty minutes of this film. The characters and story line were delightful.

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!