00:00:00 --> 00:00:02 Chris: The Dirty war In Argentina saw 30 people
00:00:02 --> 00:00:04 killed or imprisoned by their own government.
00:00:04 --> 00:00:06 And somehow this dark chapter of history
00:00:07 --> 00:00:09 became the backdrop for one of Hollywood's
00:00:09 --> 00:00:12 most unexpected musicals. Let me tell you
00:00:12 --> 00:00:14 about the new Kiss of the Spider Woman
00:00:14 --> 00:00:14 adaptation.
00:00:15 --> 00:00:17 Jessica: That's such a bold choice to turn such
00:00:17 --> 00:00:19 serious source material into a musical.
00:00:20 --> 00:00:22 How does it handle that delicate balance?
00:00:23 --> 00:00:26 Chris: Well, it's fascinating because the film
00:00:26 --> 00:00:28 operates on multiple levels.
00:00:28 --> 00:00:31 You've got this intimate prison drama between
00:00:31 --> 00:00:34 two cellmates. Molina,
00:00:34 --> 00:00:37 this gay window dresser played by Tonariu,
00:00:37 --> 00:00:39 and Valentin, a, uh, political
00:00:39 --> 00:00:42 revolutionary played by Diego Luna.
00:00:43 --> 00:00:45 Their dynamic is immediately charged with
00:00:45 --> 00:00:46 tension.
00:00:46 --> 00:00:48 Jessica: Hmm. Um, tell me more about how they
00:00:48 --> 00:00:50 developed that relationship within such a
00:00:50 --> 00:00:51 politically charged setting.
00:00:52 --> 00:00:55 Chris: So here's where it gets interesting. Malina
00:00:55 --> 00:00:57 is actually planted there by the warden to
00:00:57 --> 00:01:00 spy on Valentin, but he uses these
00:01:00 --> 00:01:03 elaborate stories about his favorite films
00:01:03 --> 00:01:06 to build a connection. The genius is in
00:01:06 --> 00:01:09 how Tanatia portrays this character who's
00:01:09 --> 00:01:11 essentially performing multiple spy,
00:01:11 --> 00:01:14 storyteller and eventually genuine
00:01:14 --> 00:01:15 friend.
00:01:15 --> 00:01:17 Jessica: That must create some incredibly complex
00:01:17 --> 00:01:19 emotional moments between them.
00:01:20 --> 00:01:23 Chris: Oh, it does. And what's really compelling is
00:01:23 --> 00:01:25 how Diego Luna transforms
00:01:25 --> 00:01:28 Valentin from this hardened revolutionary
00:01:28 --> 00:01:31 into someone who actually allows himself to
00:01:31 --> 00:01:34 be vulnerable. But. And here's where
00:01:34 --> 00:01:36 things get complicated. The film tries to
00:01:36 --> 00:01:38 weave in this whole musical element with
00:01:38 --> 00:01:41 Jennifer Lopez playing dual roles as both a
00:01:41 --> 00:01:44 magazine publisher and the mysterious Spider
00:01:44 --> 00:01:44 Woman.
00:01:45 --> 00:01:47 Jessica: You know, that's quite different from the
00:01:47 --> 00:01:50 1985 version that won William Hurt his Oscar.
00:01:50 --> 00:01:52 How does this new interpretation hold up?
00:01:53 --> 00:01:55 Chris: Well, that's where we run into some issues.
00:01:56 --> 00:01:58 Despite having Bill Condon, who wrote
00:01:58 --> 00:02:00 Chicago, at the helm, the musical elements
00:02:00 --> 00:02:03 feel disconnected from the political drama.
00:02:03 --> 00:02:05 It's like watching two different movies
00:02:05 --> 00:02:06 fighting for attention.
00:02:06 --> 00:02:08 Jessica: So the intimate prison story works better
00:02:08 --> 00:02:09 than the musical numbers?
00:02:10 --> 00:02:13 Chris: Exactly. When we're focused on Melina and
00:02:13 --> 00:02:15 Valentin in their cell, the film really comes
00:02:15 --> 00:02:18 alive. There's this beautiful metaphor about
00:02:18 --> 00:02:21 how stories can help us process reality, even
00:02:21 --> 00:02:23 in the darkest circumstances. But then we
00:02:23 --> 00:02:26 shift to these elaborate musical sequences
00:02:26 --> 00:02:28 that just don't carry the same weight.
00:02:28 --> 00:02:30 Jessica: That's fascinating how even with some
00:02:30 --> 00:02:32 missteps, the core story still resonates.
00:02:33 --> 00:02:35 Chris: You know what's really interesting? The way
00:02:35 --> 00:02:38 they handle the political context. They don't
00:02:38 --> 00:02:40 shy away from showing the brutality of the
00:02:40 --> 00:02:42 regime, which gives every interaction between
00:02:42 --> 00:02:44 Malina and Valentin this underlying tension,
00:02:45 --> 00:02:47 every conversation could literally be a
00:02:47 --> 00:02:48 matter of life and death.
00:02:49 --> 00:02:51 Jessica: That must add so many layers to their growing
00:02:51 --> 00:02:51 friendship.
00:02:52 --> 00:02:55 Chris: It really does. And Tonatio's performance
00:02:55 --> 00:02:58 captures all those complexities. He
00:02:58 --> 00:03:00 brings this incredible vulnerability to
00:03:00 --> 00:03:02 Malina while still maintaining this sense of
00:03:02 --> 00:03:05 flamboyance that's almost like armor.
00:03:06 --> 00:03:08 When that armor starts to crack, it's really
00:03:08 --> 00:03:09 powerful stuff.
00:03:10 --> 00:03:12 Jessica: How does the film balance the personal story
00:03:12 --> 00:03:13 with the larger political narrative?
00:03:15 --> 00:03:17 Chris: That's actually one of its stronger aspects.
00:03:17 --> 00:03:20 The personal betrayals mirror the political
00:03:20 --> 00:03:22 ones, and even though the musical elements
00:03:22 --> 00:03:25 don't quite work, you can see what they were
00:03:25 --> 00:03:27 trying to do. Use art as a way to process
00:03:28 --> 00:03:30 trauma and find connection in impossible
00:03:30 --> 00:03:31 circumstances.
00:03:32 --> 00:03:34 Jessica: It sounds like despite its flaws, it's still
00:03:34 --> 00:03:35 contributing something meaningful to the
00:03:35 --> 00:03:36 conversation.
00:03:37 --> 00:03:40 Chris: That's exactly right. While it might only
00:03:40 --> 00:03:42 score a 6 out of 10, and I'd still recommend
00:03:42 --> 00:03:45 people watch the 1985 version first,
00:03:45 --> 00:03:47 there's something valuable about seeing how
00:03:47 --> 00:03:50 these themes of identity politics and human
00:03:50 --> 00:03:53 connection resonate in a contemporary
00:03:53 --> 00:03:56 context. Sometimes the attempt to tell these
00:03:56 --> 00:03:59 stories in new ways is just as interesting
00:03:59 --> 00:04:00 as getting everything perfect.
00:04:01 --> 00:04:03 Jessica: And perhaps that's what keeps these important
00:04:03 --> 00:04:05 stories alive. Finding new ways to tell them
00:04:05 --> 00:04:07 for each generation.
00:04:07 --> 00:04:09 Chris: You know, that's really what it comes down
00:04:09 --> 00:04:12 to. Even when certain elements don't quite
00:04:12 --> 00:04:14 work, the core story about human connection
00:04:14 --> 00:04:17 in the face of political oppression remains
00:04:17 --> 00:04:19 incredibly powerful. It's a reminder that
00:04:19 --> 00:04:21 sometimes the most important stories are the
00:04:21 --> 00:04:24 ones we keep trying to tell, even if we don't
00:04:24 --> 00:04:25 always get it exactly right.
00:04:26 --> 00:04:28 Finally, I'd like to suggest revisiting the
00:04:28 --> 00:04:31 1985 film or visiting it for the
00:04:31 --> 00:04:33 first time. If you haven't before, it would
00:04:33 --> 00:04:36 be worthwhile. This version scores a 6 out
00:04:36 --> 00:04:37 of 10.
00:04:37 --> 00:04:39 Voice Over Guy: You've been listening to movies first
00:04:39 --> 00:04:42 available at Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
00:04:42 --> 00:04:45 iHeartRadio or your favourite podcast
00:04:45 --> 00:04:47 player. You can also stream on
00:04:47 --> 00:04:50 demand at bitesz.com. This has been another
00:04:50 --> 00:04:52 quality podcast production from
00:04:52 --> 00:04:53 bitesz.com