October 8, 2025
FILM: KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN
DIRECTED BY: BILL CONDON
STARRING: DIEGO LUNA, TONATIUH, JENNIFER LOPEZ
RATING: 3 ½ out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
I’ve seen both the original 1985 film version of Kiss of the Spider Woman, which won William Hurt an Oscar for Best Actor, and the Broadway musical which won a slew of Tony Awards in 1993, including Best Actress for Chita Rivera. Since it has been a while, I don’t remember much about either. When it was announced that a new film version, which adapted elements of the original novel and the Broadway show, was playing at Sundance earlier this year many viewed it with some skepticism. The new film was independently produced and featured Jennifer Lopez in the roles of Aurora and the Spider Woman. Could she do what Rivera did? Could the mostly unknown Tonatiuh capture what Hurt did in the original film? Initial reviews were mixed but having now seen it, I can say that yes, writer/director Bill Condon’s new version is mostly a success.
For those unfamiliar with the story, Diego Luna plays political prisoner Valentin in 1983 Argentina. After being arrested for public indecency, Molina, played by Tonatiuh, becomes his cellmate. The characters couldn’t be more different at first. Valentin is a quiet intellectual who refuses to share information about the people he has worked with. Molina is an eccentric who decorates his bed with beads and posters from some of his favorite movies. Molina is also gender fluid (using a modern term) and feels deeply connected to a character named Aurora in a film called “Kiss of the Spider Woman.” As the two characters spend more time together, Molina tells Valentin the story of the film. It is then that the movie we are watching temporarily changes locations to the setting of that film where Jennifer Lopez as Aurora dazzles in major production numbers.
What stands out first is the production design within these two spaces. The cell itself is very drab, even with Molina’s personal touches. The world of the film within the film is full of bright colors, large open spaces, and lots of beautiful people in striking costumes. It stands as a sharp contrast to the real world both men find themselves in at present. For older cinephiles, this varying aesthetic is similar to what we find in Woody Allen’s classic 1985 film The Purple Rose of Cairo, which also features a sad, Depression-hit neighborhood and a woman, played by Mia Farrow, who goes to movies to escape her own harsh reality. In each of these films, what is on screen is idealized and full of little sadness. They’re the kind of film worlds that Hollywood made for decades before the reality of the 1960s and 70s changed at least some audiences’ expectations for what should be presented on screen.
Molina uses the film as not only an escape but also as a way to become one with Aurora. He states he feels like he is her and wants to be able to express himself as a woman. Because Valentin is a man of the people and very humanistic he listens intently to Molina’s story, becoming quite enchanted with it and Molina. They grow to care about each other in the cell, especially when Valentin is taken and brutally beaten for not revealing what he knows about the outside world. We also learn, fairly early on, that Molina may be able to strike up a deal with the legal system if he reveals details about Valentin’s life and political work. As such, the film explores a number of themes including escapism, loyalty vs. freedom, and love that is blind to the social norms of gender identity.
Both actors are very good in their roles. Tonatiuh is queer in real life and adds some authentic depth to his portrayal of Molina. We buy him as the character. Hurt’s performance in the original film was more of that: a “performance,” as impressive as it was. Luna has less machismo than previous portrayals of Valentin but his sensitivity and warmth make his own connection to Molina feel more natural.
Then there’s Jennifer Lopez. She’s very good at what she is most asked to do in the film: sing and dance, both of which are quite thrilling to experience. She is essentially playing three roles in the film within the film but there isn’t much depth to what she has to do as an actress. Yes, she’s playing the kind of role that many actresses were asked to play in the era in which the inner “Kiss of the Spider Woman” takes place but she’s essentially a musical performer, not required to do much emoting.
The musical numbers are quite beautiful and serve the same role as similar scenes in the 2002 Oscar-winning film Chicago. These are scenes which reflect what is inside the mind of its characters, illustrating how film can completely take us out of reality into something magical and beautiful. Some of the dance moves here even look a bit like the Bob Fosse constructed numbers in Chicago. These sections of the film are more prominently featured than the darker sides of Valentin’s world, for better or for worse. I’m not sure how much more such scenes might have been needed but there is a limitation to what we find out about regarding Valentin’s arrest.
Ultimately though this is the story of Molina and Valentin and it is where the heart of the film rests. With its musical numbers and provocative themes, this won’t be a film for everyone but it is well-produced, directed, and entertaining enough to warrant certain audiences a reason to check it out and use as a form of escape in today’s troubling times.
Kiss of the Spider Woman opens in theaters this week.
FILM: KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN
DIRECTED BY: BILL CONDON
STARRING: DIEGO LUNA, TONATIUH, JENNIFER LOPEZ
RATING: 3 ½ out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
I’ve seen both the original 1985 film version of Kiss of the Spider Woman, which won William Hurt an Oscar for Best Actor, and the Broadway musical which won a slew of Tony Awards in 1993, including Best Actress for Chita Rivera. Since it has been a while, I don’t remember much about either. When it was announced that a new film version, which adapted elements of the original novel and the Broadway show, was playing at Sundance earlier this year many viewed it with some skepticism. The new film was independently produced and featured Jennifer Lopez in the roles of Aurora and the Spider Woman. Could she do what Rivera did? Could the mostly unknown Tonatiuh capture what Hurt did in the original film? Initial reviews were mixed but having now seen it, I can say that yes, writer/director Bill Condon’s new version is mostly a success.
For those unfamiliar with the story, Diego Luna plays political prisoner Valentin in 1983 Argentina. After being arrested for public indecency, Molina, played by Tonatiuh, becomes his cellmate. The characters couldn’t be more different at first. Valentin is a quiet intellectual who refuses to share information about the people he has worked with. Molina is an eccentric who decorates his bed with beads and posters from some of his favorite movies. Molina is also gender fluid (using a modern term) and feels deeply connected to a character named Aurora in a film called “Kiss of the Spider Woman.” As the two characters spend more time together, Molina tells Valentin the story of the film. It is then that the movie we are watching temporarily changes locations to the setting of that film where Jennifer Lopez as Aurora dazzles in major production numbers.
What stands out first is the production design within these two spaces. The cell itself is very drab, even with Molina’s personal touches. The world of the film within the film is full of bright colors, large open spaces, and lots of beautiful people in striking costumes. It stands as a sharp contrast to the real world both men find themselves in at present. For older cinephiles, this varying aesthetic is similar to what we find in Woody Allen’s classic 1985 film The Purple Rose of Cairo, which also features a sad, Depression-hit neighborhood and a woman, played by Mia Farrow, who goes to movies to escape her own harsh reality. In each of these films, what is on screen is idealized and full of little sadness. They’re the kind of film worlds that Hollywood made for decades before the reality of the 1960s and 70s changed at least some audiences’ expectations for what should be presented on screen.
Molina uses the film as not only an escape but also as a way to become one with Aurora. He states he feels like he is her and wants to be able to express himself as a woman. Because Valentin is a man of the people and very humanistic he listens intently to Molina’s story, becoming quite enchanted with it and Molina. They grow to care about each other in the cell, especially when Valentin is taken and brutally beaten for not revealing what he knows about the outside world. We also learn, fairly early on, that Molina may be able to strike up a deal with the legal system if he reveals details about Valentin’s life and political work. As such, the film explores a number of themes including escapism, loyalty vs. freedom, and love that is blind to the social norms of gender identity.
Both actors are very good in their roles. Tonatiuh is queer in real life and adds some authentic depth to his portrayal of Molina. We buy him as the character. Hurt’s performance in the original film was more of that: a “performance,” as impressive as it was. Luna has less machismo than previous portrayals of Valentin but his sensitivity and warmth make his own connection to Molina feel more natural.
Then there’s Jennifer Lopez. She’s very good at what she is most asked to do in the film: sing and dance, both of which are quite thrilling to experience. She is essentially playing three roles in the film within the film but there isn’t much depth to what she has to do as an actress. Yes, she’s playing the kind of role that many actresses were asked to play in the era in which the inner “Kiss of the Spider Woman” takes place but she’s essentially a musical performer, not required to do much emoting.
The musical numbers are quite beautiful and serve the same role as similar scenes in the 2002 Oscar-winning film Chicago. These are scenes which reflect what is inside the mind of its characters, illustrating how film can completely take us out of reality into something magical and beautiful. Some of the dance moves here even look a bit like the Bob Fosse constructed numbers in Chicago. These sections of the film are more prominently featured than the darker sides of Valentin’s world, for better or for worse. I’m not sure how much more such scenes might have been needed but there is a limitation to what we find out about regarding Valentin’s arrest.
Ultimately though this is the story of Molina and Valentin and it is where the heart of the film rests. With its musical numbers and provocative themes, this won’t be a film for everyone but it is well-produced, directed, and entertaining enough to warrant certain audiences a reason to check it out and use as a form of escape in today’s troubling times.
Kiss of the Spider Woman opens in theaters this week.