Funny, romantic, multilingual... There is a lot to say about this movie. It's one of those that put Brazilian cinema again in the path of quality. It's a good surprise seeing Bruno Barreto, who directed many erotic movies, did a very nice piece without any nudity, even with lots of babes in the cast. The story is about the romantic involvement between Pedro (Antônio Fagundes, our senior superstar) and Mary Ann (Amy Irving) and lots of funny things that happen around them. I could say I don't like Irving's performance because she looked very bored all the time. She was there only because she was Mr. Barreto's wife. On the other hand, all Brazilians were terrific, with lots of good acting from Alexandre Borges (Romario's alter-ego), Drica Moraes (Mary Ann's friend who dated with an American through e-mail), Giovanna Antonelli, Pedro Cardoso, Débora Bloch, and so many others that shine even in small roles. I particularly like Alberto De Mendoza (the tailor, Pedro's father), Spanish-speaker , helping his son on impressing the English teacher, in a very unusual way - watch it and check it out. If the movie's plot was not so original, I tell it doesn't matter. As in Centralstation, the most important is how the story is told, the cast quality, music score, and so many other things that make the real difference. I really recommend this movie for people from all nations, since the comedy shown there is universal.

I came because of the promise of seeing some of Brazil's scenic beauty but became engrossed in the finely woven mesh of story lines. That they all reached closure of one sort or another at the end left me satisfied. But, to be honest, I wouldn't have minded another thirty minutes of this film. The characters and story line were delightful.

Three things save this movie from being, at bottom, an ordinary comedy of romance and misunderstanding. Two of them are the music and the scenery, which have already received extensive comment from others. The third is the intricate network of character relationships--romantic, professional, and familial--and for me the greatest pleasure in "Bossa Nova" lay in figuring out this network. It's not as seemingly naturalistic as the comparable web of relationships in "Magnolia", but no less satisfying a puzzle. Overall, a pleasant experience and an excellent date movie, with just enough potential heartache to accentuate the sweetness of the romance.

Right off the bat we see on the first frame that the film is dedicated to Antonio Carlos Jobim and Francois Truffaut. An easy-flowing piece with samba music accompanying the main course, it's simply wonderful and effortless to consume. The story and parallel plots may be predictable, but that did not get in the way of enjoying this movie. It's definitely entertaining: drama, romance, the ups and downs of man-woman relationships -- even included a cyberspace courtship, along with the mistaken identity and comedy of errors, the audience can swing along with Jobim tunes, hum along and cruise along on this ride with Amy Irving leading as Mary Ann, directed by husband Bruno Barreto ("Dona Flor and her two husbands" 1978). The supporting Brazilian cast is just as colorful: Brazil's leading man Antonio Fagundes as Pedro the admirer, Debra Bloch as the wife, Giovanna Antonelli as Sharon the youthful assistant, Alexandre Borges as Acacio the soccer star, Drica Moraes as Nadine and U.S.'s Stephen Tobolowsky ("Groundhog Day" 1993 opposite Bill Murray). At times almost feels like a dash of Almodovar sentiments sprinkled for spice. If you want a "filmic" vacation and have a relaxing romp, go see BOSSA NOVA -- even the credit roll is with bright colored swish and swashes animated to the music tempo scored by Eumir Deodato.