“Passionada”

By Gerri Pare
Catholic News Service

NEW YORK (CNS) -- A former card cheat tries to win the heart of a devout widow with a little help from her enterprising daughter in the modestly charming romance, "Passionada " (Goldwyn).

The setting is the largely Catholic, Portuguese-American fishing community in New Bedford, Mass., where beautiful Celia (Sofia Milos), her precocious teen daughter Vicky (Emmy Rossum) and her wary mother-in-law (Lupe Ontiveros) all live under the same roof.

Since her fisherman husband's accidental death seven years earlier, Celia has closed her heart to romance, sewing in a factory by day yet singing impassioned love songs in her native Portuguese at a local dinner club.

One night, Brit Charlie (Jason Isaacs) catches her act and is completely smitten by the sensuous chanteuse. She is frosty to his pickup lines afterward, but he is persistent. Enlisting the advice of her daughter by reluctantly agreeing to teach Vicky card-counting tricks, Charlie lies to Celia that he is a wealthy ex-pat interested in opening a fishing concern -- and gradually wears down her resistance. But their love affair seems doomed since it is based on lies unless Charlie transforms himself and wins Celia's forgiveness.

Director Dan Ireland brings out the humanity of the script's characters in ways that make one overlook the movie's foregone conclusion. Celia has mourned her husband for many years but now needs to open her heart to love and get on with her life. When she discovers Vicky has been gone overnight -- unaware that Vicky has been trying out her newfound gambling skills at an all-night casino -- she rages at her daughter, who is hurt that her mother has wrongly assumed she lost her virginity. Providing soothing words of wisdom is the grandmother, who serves as a bridge of reconciliation.

Charlie, washed up as a card cheat, doesn't seem to realize he is at a crossroads, but finding love enables him to reform in a rather pat happy ending that brings everyone full circle -- and presumes that Vicky has ditched her gambling ways as well.

One gets a sense of the Catholic community of the setting, at Mass, the Blessed Sacrament Festival and pierside blessings, especially the Portuguese immigrants whose livelihoods remain tethered to the sea. The fiery renditions of plaintive fado music (by Portugal's Misia) add an uncommon touch as well to a formula romantic plot.

Leisurely paced and essentially sweet-natured, "Passionada" blends humorous touches with torch songs for a family-centered romantic comedy with its heart in the right place.

Because of an implied affair, the USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults. The Motion Picture Association of America rating is PG-13 -- parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

* Pare is the director of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.