“The thing I love about La Luna is that no matter how much Hollywood tried to make her all-American, she never stopped being Latin,” says Molina (Tonatiuh) in Kiss of the Spider Woman. Molina, a queer window dresser, happily idolizes his favourite screen icon Ingrid Luna. He describes her magnetic star power to his cellmate Valentin (Diego Luna). They pass the time in their Argentinian prison as Molina recounts to Valentine his favourite movie, the silver screen classic Kiss of the Spider Woman. Molina captivates his begrudging audience with the story of Ingrid Luna’s greatest performance as Aurora, a woman entangled in a love triangle, political intrigue, and the fatal kiss of the titular Spider Woman to whom her fate is intimately tied. You’ll be equally starstruck by La Luna and her Latin rhythms.
Jennifer Lopez makes Ingrid Luna come vividly to life in a powerhouse performance as the actress who casts a spell on Molina. Kiss of the Spider Woman gives Jennifer Lopez the role of a lifetime, and it’s pretty wild to think that the first movie musical of the star’s career comes almost thirty years after her breakout turn in Selena . That’s an eyebrow raiser of a gap, especially since Lopez was the first performer to hold the number one spot at the box office and album charts at the same time when her film The Wedding Planner and album J.Lo both topped the charts in 2001. But all good things to those who wait. Hollywood has never quite let Jennifer Lopez reach her full potential as a screen performer—until now.
Don’t get me wrong—Lopez has always shown her chops as a dramatic performer. From Selena to Out of Sight to An Unfinished Life and Hustlers , she has more than enough credits to make the case that she’s among Hollywood’s underrated talents. But for a star with such obvious crossover talent, it’s surprising how few films combine her skillset in the way that Kiss of the Spider Woman does.
This is a turn that reminds fans of the distinction between “actors” and “stars.” J-Lo gives a showstopper of a performance playing three characters in director Bill Condon’s reimagining of the Kander and Ebb musical, itself based on Manuel Puig’s novel. She sings, she dances, and she brings layers of intoxicating power as silver screen siren Ingrid Luna. It’s a tricky role, too, since Kiss of the Spider Woman hinges on Ingrid’s ability to seduce a viewer and for audiences to relate to Molina’s palpable identification with the star.
The latter point elevates this ravishing reimagining of Kiss of the Spider Woman , as Condon and star Tonatiuh beautifully open up Molina’s love for Luna. Whereas the 1985 film version, which won William Hurt an Oscar for playing Molina, gives a portrait of a queer character that’s respectful, if a product of its time, Tonatiuh delivers a breakout performance by accenting every syllable of Molina’s oral account of Kiss of the Spider Woman with flamboyantly dramatic gusto. This film takes to heart the relationship that queer men have with movie stars, and Tonatiuh offers the ultimate actressexual, bringing light to the darkness of their prison cell by projecting Ingrid’s aura. This performance draws out Puig’s articulation of gender fluidity that was ahead of its time. The adaptation deftly parallels the story of identity and integrity with the larger backdrop of political resistance in 1980s’ Argentina.
Tonatiuh also has the acting, singing, and dancing chops to hold their own with Lopez in the film-within-the-film. As Molina recasts himself as Aurora’s best Judy, Kendall, in Kiss of the Spider Woman, Tonatiuh confidently juggles different facets of screen performance as Kendall projects a hyper-masculine aura (ish) typical to the times of old Hollywood. They also imbue the character with enough saucy ticks to make clear Kendall’s sexuality.
Condon lets Tonatiuh shine in numbers like “She’s a Woman” and “Only in the Movies” where the escapism of film musicals allow Molina to be their full self. Much in the tradition of Rob Marshall’s screen adaptation of Chicago , which Condon wrote, Kiss of the Spider Woman contrasts the dreary prison scenes with highly theatrical musical numbers. Colours pop and lights bathe a chorus of gorgeous dancers who shimmer with sweat.
Condon also shoots many of the musical numbers in wide long takes. The direction lets the choreography shine, but it’s a mixed bag cinematically. Kiss of the Spider Woman really pops when close-ups punctuate the numbers to let the emotional core of the film resonate. At other times, the songs play out as master shots, almost like film-mediated versions of stage performances. It’s as if Condon took the criticism his musical numbers in Dreamgirls featured too much editing, and he seemingly overcompensates here as if to replicate the experience of a Broadway show. Some of the songs look impressive and showcase tricky choreography and elaborate costumes and sets, but the unbroken long shots drain the film of energy when musical numbers should instead inject vitality. (It doesn’t help, either, that Diego Luna is unfortunately miscast and can’t match the energy of Lopez and Tonatiuh.)
When it works, though, it’s breathtaking entertainment. And that’s really a testament to how remarkably Lopez catapults Kiss of the Spider Woman to higher levels each time she’s on screen. Her performance in “Gimme Love” oozes sex as Aurora commands the stage with sultry Cyd Charisse-esque movements, while her commanding presence in “Where You Are” serves Broadway bliss. But it’s her turn in the climatic “Kiss of the Spider Woman” that shows off her power as a screen performer best. Lopez fully embraces the dual role of Aurora and the Spider Woman, serving ingénue and vamp with equal measure. You’ll be caught in her web, as only the best of performers know how to ensnare us.
