I just recommended Bossa Nova to a friend. I have to agree with other user comments that there is not a deep plot, however this is a movie for all your senses. If you like Bossa Nova music, you won't be disappointed. One of my favorite albums of all time is Getz/ Gilberto. This movie satisfies the ears with Girl from Ipanema and Corcovado, both found on the Getz/Gilberto album. Other Bossa Nova favorites in this movie are Wave and One Note Samba. If you like the Portuguese language, again you won't be disappointed. I was very curious about Amy Irving and her ability to speak this foreign language. Was she dubbed or did she learn it? She sounded authentic. Bossa Nova is also a feast for the eyes. Much like Enchanted April is a virtual trip to Italy, this movie takes you to Brazil. If you have been waiting to go to Rio but won't be going any time soon, this is your chance to get a virtual Rio experience. This movie was for me about the atmosphere of the place, not the typical movie experience. Bossa Nova is definitely worth seeing from your couch or comfy chair!

I've had this video in my armoire for many months and finally got around to watching it last night. What a complete delight it was! Quirky, interesting, sweet-natured. As a middle-aged single I particularly enjoyed the romantic plot strand involving two people of my vintage. Amy Irving is incandescent as always. This movie has a wonderfully European (okay, Brazilian) feel and sensibility. Not the usual canned Hollywood fare.

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.

While other comments here have focused on the 'feminine' quotient of the picture, it should be noted that Bossa Nova goes beyond the formulaic approach ala Return to Me, and instead goes for a more Altman-like approach. The confluence of a myriad of characters of diverse backgrounds (including Alexandre Borges [the star of the epic Um Copo de Cólera] as a soccer star about to be traded to an English League team) comes together in a fashion not unlike Altman's Nashville, with some winners and some losers, including nice guys. No, as mentioned earlier, this does not show you a gritty, realistic Rio, but after the fantasy Broadway song and dance sequence, who the hell would have expected it? Ultimately, the film leaves you feeling good, albeit a bit empty, like most summer fare here in the States.