Formulatic romantic comedy works here as we have engaging characters, heartfelt moments with a drop or two of drama thrown in to add to the roller coaster ride of just missed chances in this movie based on teh laws of attraction. There are no perfect characters here, despite Amy Irvings' casting as a widowed ESL teacher living in Aproador, directly above Ipanema, who opens up the possibility of love after two years mourning the death of her Braziian husband. The human (and longing) side of our existence has our characters taking chances outside of their comfort zones and trying to make it work, despite the obvious. This is where the comedy really works, as well as the drama. Almost every character has a love story and to detail it would spoil their reactions to the scenario they've put them selves in. Fun performances by all set to popular Bossa Nova (reworked by Deodado.. I was shocked by the credits!) . I can attest that Rio looks just like the picture postcard as in this 2000 movie as it does the many others venturing into the socio-economic-political aspect of life there that has been so well documented and filmed for a world wide audience. This movie has a limited audience due to that, be get out a little, have some fun, you're not too old.

This movie exploits the beauty of Rio's beaches and the idea that people around the globe has about them. And I love that. It's also light as long as there aren't big dramas exposed at its highest notes. The teacher has already lost her husband, the lawyer doesn't care too much for her ex-wife (in spite of he appeared drunk at the start of the movie), and his father is about lo loose a dispute with his last wife. An even all characters look like they feel comfortable and unstressed. (That might be what pisses some people off, as they consider the movie is contributing to what they argue is a misconception of the reality of the city).Listen to the soundtrack. A great number of light weighted bossa nova themes drop in throughout the movie just like a CD track after another, even surpassing the number of those who have been gathered for the soundtrack CD. Listen to the sea tides sounds. There's practically no moment in the picture that you don't hear them. Watch the wind moving trees, bushes and also penetrating the rooms turned into soft breezes. Watch the bright sun light surrounding offices and appartments, all of them sharing the same beautiful sea view.What the female characters and you'll notice that all of them aren't a romantic cliche by themselves. But they do aspire to cliche livestyles, and that forces you to look into their personas, just to discover how adorable they surprisingly come up to be.I would've liked to have seen this movie with a Frozen Lemonade and a pair of sunglasses. The experience is the same. If you are generous to take into account a cute and easy going story with some contemporary moral common places, give this movie a chance, and maybe you'll be among those of us who think that no matter its lightness, this picture deserves a place between cult movies.

Warning: All cynics should avoid this movie like the plague!!! Full of contrivances and cliches, ridden with all the typical plot elements of any kind of ensemble romance piece, this film on the outset seems like nothing new. But there's just something about it I couldn't let go of-maybe it was the beautiful Rio de Janeiro backdrop that this film is set against. Maybe it's the opportunity to see Amy Irving once again in all her glory. I don't know which, but the lady should definitely be in more movies, especially in ones where her husband directs her and therefore gives her the best role and makes her the most sympathetic in the film. Irving stars as Mary Ann Simpson, an English teacher in Rio who teaches classes by night and private students by day. Across the hall from her classes is the shop of an elderly tailor, whose lawyer son Pedro Paulo (Antônio Fagundes) is helping his father get out of an alimony fix that involves a much younger wife. One night Pedro Paulo runs into our heroine on the elevator, and love at first sight is born. Right away he forgets about Tania, the ex-wife (Débora Bloch) he was having trouble letting go of, and goes after this mysterious new woman in his life. Along the sidelines there are plots that involve Irving's student Nadine (Drica Moraes) and her online romance with a SoHo artist `Gary', and another regarding the lawyer's intern Sharon (Giovana Antonelli) and her romance with both her boss' brother Roberto and the famous soccer player Acacio (Alexandre Borges), who also happens to be taking private English lessons from Mary Ann. All these lines cross and meet and even out in perfect form, and yet somehow at its most typical the film manages to be at its most enjoyable, possibly because Barreto has such a good time entertaining his audience that one can't help but dive right in. Worth a good look.

"Bossa Nova" has lots of great shots of Rio de Janerio, and lots of pretty actors, and a soundtrack that combines old and new bossa nova tunes. Unfortunately that's about all it has going for it.The film is about the romance between an American woman who teaches English to the wealthy and her corporate lawyer student who bears a striking resemblance to Marcello Mastroianni. Both of them are supposed to be in their early to mid-forties.The age aspect is one problem I have with this film. I'm not against middle-age romance on film, but it's just so obvious that Antonio Fagundes is closer to fifty.Another problem I have is with Amy Irving's acting skills. At times, it's obvious she's reading straight off a cue card. Good actors never let us see them working.But the biggest complaint I have about this film is the plot, or rather the lack thereof. The film is filled with lots of confusing little subplots, some of which never resolve themselves. This, I guess, is to distract the audience from the fact that the main plot is so threadbare.Many American critics have praised this film. This is largely, I believe, because it is not an American film and was not bankrolled by a major Hollywood studio. However, I always use the same barometer to judge a film, regardless of its origin or pedigree. I give this film the same criticism I would give to a film such as "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" or "The Horse Whisperer": It's beautiful to look at, but once you get past the scenery and the actors' looks, there's not much left. I give this film a 6 out of 10.