Woman On Top review

Sultry Spanish senorita Penelope Cruz stars in her first English language role in Fina Torres's spicy comedy Woman On Top.

This sexy romantic fable about the magic of food and love shows chef Isabella Oliveira (Cruz) as the talk of the Brazilian port city of Bahia. Her magical culinary skills light up the seafood restaurant owned by her husband Toninho (Benicio). But his sheer frustration of her constant domination leads to a dalliance.

And when she finds him in flagrante, she flees to San Francisco to room with cross-dressing best pal Monica (Perrineau Jr). Starting from scratch, Isabella earns fame and fortune as a TV chef on Passion Food Live, under the wing of station producer Cliff Lloyd (Feuerstein) who has a soft spot for his new star.

But Isabella just can't get over Toninho and when her husband turns up, desperate to win her back, the temperature soon reaches boiling point.

Cruz looks ravishing and her energy and enthusiasm atones for her occasional problems delivering her lines in English.

Benicio and Feuerstein vie as the two men in Isabella's life and both spark potent screen chemistry with their leading lady. Meanwhile, Perrineau Jr lords it as the flamboyant comedy sidekick, squeezing into increasingly colourful outfits in search of her own Mr Right.

But the screenplay's reliance a magical sea goddess to untangle Isabella's knotty affairs of the heart is deeply unsatisfying. Likewise, the decision to pair up all the leading actors before the end - even finding a boyfriend for Monica - is one contrivance too far.

Gripes aside, Woman On Top is a light and sensual cocktail of romance and laughter, set alight by Cruz's screen magnetism. Drink it up while she's hot.