Harold Perrineau Jr.
Fox Searchlight Pictures
2000
Rated R
Now in theaters
Passion, motion sickness, cooking and magic. One woman's need to be in control of all things--to be the WOMAN ON TOP--may cost her the love of her life.
Isabella is plagued by extreme, chronic, and incurable motion sickness. The only way she's able to cope is to be completely in control of her movements. She never takes elevators and she's always the driver and never the passenger. And I don't just mean in cars. (Think about the title.) Anyhow, her husband Toninho feels less than a man by her constant need to dominate everything they do. It's this insecurity that leads him to cheat on Isabella and get caught on top of their neighbor.
Upon consulting the ocean Goddess, Yemanja, Isabella makes the decision to leave Brazil and her husband. She heads to San Francisco to stay with her childhood friend (and drag queen), Monica. Immediately, Isabella sets herself two goals--find a job cooking and get Toninho out of her head and heart. Neither is an easy task. After repeated job refusals she finally lands a position at a culinary school, but it's only after a ritual offering to Yemanja that she's able to stop loving Toninho.
Toninho on the other hand has realized the grave error of his ways. In a fit, he curses the Goddess and leaves to find the one true love of his life. When he does find her he's shocked to learn she's a local TV celebrity, hosting a popular cooking show with Monica called, "Passion Food Live." In addition, she's being courted by the show's producer, Cliff.
Repentant, desperate, Toninho tries to win back Isabella's love. His romantic antics even gain him a spot on Isabella's show, much to her dislike. But proximity and persistence do not win her over as he hopes. In fact, it soon becomes clear he is fighting a losing battle. Unbeknownst to him, Yemanja has taken Isabella's love for him to the bottom of the ocean, for keeps.
Unfortunately, the cruel Goddess also seems to have further punished Isabella by taking her passion not only for Toninho, but for life, love and cooking. Because Toninho refuses to give up a battle soon ensues between him and a vengeful, powerful Goddess. Is true love strong enough to break free from the deity's determined grasp, or will Isabella remain the lonely WOMAN ON TOP?
Okay, by now you've figured out this isn't your run-of-the-mill romantic comedy. Nope, it's spicier. Seasoned with peppers,
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