By Sarah Osman

The ratio between fantasy and real life felt off in this uneven film version of Kander and Ebb’s 1990 musical.

Kiss of the Spider Woman, directed by Bill Condon. Screening at Coolidge Corner Theatre, West Newton Cinema, Kendall Square Cinema, and all local AMCs. Available on Hulu starting February 27.

Jennifer Lopez in Kiss of the Spider Woman. Photo: courtesy of Roadside Attractions

Before watching Kiss of the Spider Woman, I only knew that a) it was a musical and b) it starred Jennifer Lopez. So I pretty much had no idea what to expect. Within the first ten minutes of my viewing, my first thought was, ‘Well, this is different.’ By the end of it, I concluded, “Well, that felt a little all over the place.’

Kiss of the Spider Woman is based on the stage musical, which is based on the 1976 novel by Manuel Puig. It’s set in 1983 Argentina, when a brutal dictatorship ruled the country. Luis Molina (Tonatiuh) is thrown into prison because of his sexuality. His cellmate, Valentin (Diego Luna), is a bitter political prisoner. At first, the duo establishes an Odd Couple situation: Luis decorates their cell and talks nonstop; Valentin sits in the corner and reads. To distract them from their horrendously grim reality, Luis starts telling Valentin the story of his favorite movie, aptly named “Kiss of the Spider Woman.” The film is a 1930s dazzling musical starring Ingrid Luna (Jennifer Lopez), complete with dancing, intrigue, and romance. As time goes on, Valentin grows fond of Luis, and that fondness eventually turns into love. At the same time, Luis is being pressured by the warden for information on Valentin. If he gives the warden something juicy, Luis will be freed, able to be reunited with his dying mother.

The film often shifts from the bleakness of Luis and Valentin’s damp prison cell to the candy-coated whimsy of the ’30s musical. These campy scenes are a little jarring, no doubt the intention of director Bill Condon. The world of the musical is colorfully vibrant, and includes extensive choreography à la the golden age of Hollywood musicals. Lopez commands these scenes with considerable star power, as she high-kicks and sings the hell out of some rather so-so songs. It’s a shame that Lopez hasn’t been cast in more musicals — her propulsive performance style is perfect for the medium. Let’s hope in the future we will get to see more of Lopez in movie musicals (perhaps even the film NBC stage production of Bye Bye Birdie we were promised — but never got).

Tonatiuh (left) and Diego Luna in Kiss of the Spider Woman. Courtesy of Sundance Institute

Where Kiss of the Spider Woman made me pause was the musical within a musical. In the original stage version, that concept doesn’t exist. The stage musical features songs in both prison reality (e.g., prisoners singing “Fearless” or “Good Times”) and multiple Aurora fantasy films, creating seamless theatrical blends of worlds. Here the worlds are kept separate. According to my fellow musical theater nerds on Reddit, the film version cuts some of the best songs — their argument is that the musical flows more smoothly on stage. I have not seen the stage production, so I will have to take the Redditors at their word. But my hunch is that they’re right about the pacing. I had trouble remembering what was happening in the musical portion of the film, because we had spent extended time in reality. The ratio between fantasy and real life felt off — perhaps on purpose, perhaps as a reflection of what time feels like when we happily slip into escapism. Regardless of the point being made, I wonder if the film version should have followed the stage production’s structure and blurred the lines between reality and fantasy by having characters sing in the prison, not just on an imagined stage.

Despite the odd pacing, the actors give it their all. Luna plays Valentin like an M&M: hard on the outside, soft on the inside. He conveys Valentin’s anguish as the man is poisoned, beaten, and grows to desire Luis’s love. Still, while Luna and Lopez are impressive, Kiss of the Spider Woman really belongs to Tonatiuh. In a less capable actor’s hands, Luis would come across as a creaky gay stereotype. But Tonatiuh suggests all of the complexities that make up Luis. The character is not delusional about where he is or the danger he faces –but he also knows that art is the best (maybe the only) way to escape the violence around him. This is very much Tonatiuh’s film — we likely to see more of him.

Sarah Mina Osman is based in Los Angeles. In addition to The Arts Fuse, her writing can be found in The Huffington Post, Success Magazine, Matador Network, HelloGiggles, Business Insider, and WatchMojo. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of North Carolina Wilmington and is working on her first novel. She has a deep appreciation for sloths and tacos. You can keep up with her on Instagram @SarahMinaOsman and at Bluesky @sarahminaosman.bsky.social.