"Bill Condon's Kiss of the Spider Woman challenges a belief I've long held: that in order for a musical to succeed, it must have memorable musical numbers. The tunes in Spider Woman aren't terrible so much as they are wallpaper, meh, pleasant enough in the moment yet evaporated from the mind as soon as the polite, obligatory audience applause marks the transition to the next scene."
"Spider Woman has shapeshifted through various adaptations over the years, originating with Argentine writer Manuel Puig's experimental 1976 novel about the relationship between a disaffected gay man and a political prisoner sharing a cell in an Argentine prison. Condon picks up on the inherent subversiveness of Puig's work, funnels it through that Broadway production, and molds it assuredly for contemporary sensibilities."
"The result is an impressive balancing act between the exuberant Technicolor fantasy of classic movie musicals and the weary reality of Argentina's oppressive military dictatorship during the late 20th century, and with an evolved perspective on gender and sexuality. On paper, it probably sounds like an incongruent didactic drag; in practice it's a poignant and immersive contribution to the novel's legacy."
Kiss of the Spider Woman overcomes unmemorable musical numbers through vivid characterizations and a pulsating sense of urgency. The film adapts a Broadway production that won multiple Tonys in 1993, including best musical, and connects to the songwriting legacy of John Kander and Fred Ebb. The story originates in Manuel Puig's experimental 1976 novel about a disaffected gay man and a political prisoner sharing a cell. The film balances exuberant Technicolor musical fantasy with the weary reality of Argentina's oppressive military dictatorship during the Dirty War. The adaptation channels Puig's subversiveness and reshapes the material for contemporary sensibilities while foregrounding gender and sexuality.
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