Afouotos Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Aneesa Wardle The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Yash Wade Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Married Baby Just intense enough to provide a much-needed diversion, just lightweight enough to make you forget about it soon after it’s over. It’s not exactly “good,” per se, but it does what it sets out to do in terms of putting us on edge, which makes it … successful?

sagecamel This priceless old film contains brilliant performances, not only by the great Sonia Braga, and the Moliere Award-winning Jose Wilker, but also by the entire supporting cast.The gossipy neighbors, the uptight mother, the casino and whorehouse friends of Vadinho, are all played to absolute perfection! Mauro Mendonça deserves honorable mention for his spot-on portrayal of the bassoon-playing dork of a second husband. I've seen this at least a dozen times, and I still can't stop laughing.Few films create a masterpiece out of a masterpiece of fiction, which both this film and Jorge Amado's novel certainly are. Here, you get not only erotic art, but a hilarious and splendid comedy of manners, in a fantastic period setting, perfect in every detail. If that were not enough, the soundtrack of Francis Hime and Chico Buarque de Hollanda, with the theme song, "O que sera sera," sung by the great Simone, serves you an auditory feast worthy of Dona Flor's immortal moqueca.A treasure to savor, over and over and over again!

William J. Fickling As a confirmed Brazilophile who has visited that charming country many times, I can easily affirm that this film will come as close as any other to providing you with the authentic flavor of Brazil. What keeps this from being a really good film is its essential silliness. Another reviewer has recapitulated the plot fairly well, so I don't need to do that here. Suffice it to say that I don't find it incomprehensible that Flor would put up with her first husband's peccadillos as the price for passionate sex. What I do find incomprehensible is that a woman as passionate as Flor would put up with her second husband's ineptitude at lovemaking. He wears both his pajamas and his underwear to bed and keeps them on when he makes love, and she keeps her nightgown on as well. Why doesn't she rip all of the clothes off and teach him something? Oh well..........

gridoon Sonia Braga's beauty and charm is sure to captivate most male viewers of this film, but even they will probably notice that the whole thing DRAGS along at a slow-as-molasses pacing and feels incomplete, as if the filmmakers couldn't come up with a truly satisfying ending. The basic story is clever, but I'm afraid this film too often borders on boredom. (**1/2)

Rosemea D.S. MacPherson Dona Flor, Sonia Braga, ( The Kiss of the Spider Woman and Robert Redford; Milagro Beanfield War) is married to Vadinho, José Wilker ( well known Brazilian Soapopera star). Vadinho likes women and Flor is a subservient wife who gives cooking lessons because she is well known in town for her good cooking. Vadinho never misses a chance to flirt and even to touch other women in front of Flor, who never catches him. Flor is great denial because she loves him and they have a great sex life. Vadinho dies. She remarries the town pharmacist, Mauro Mendonça (another famous Soap opera actor) who is a complete prude. Vadinho then begins to show up as a ghost, and keeps making fun of her prude husband. Well many funny moments of great laughter. Based on a book by Jorge Amado, one of the foremost Brazilian writers ( Gabriela, Cravo e Canela), this is a fun plot and very much into the Brazilian culture. You must give Vadinho a break at the beginning of the movie because machismo is somewhat accepted in the Latin culture, and as the plot develops his machismo will make you laugh. Well directed by Bruno Barreto, who directed ( Four Days in September) movie that was nominated for an Oscar as Best Foreign Film in 1988, Dona Flor will give great insights into Brazilian culture and a flavor to taste Brazilian food. Very spice, and fun Movie. I highly recommend!