The film is a romantic comedy about a Portuguese widow whose husband had been a fisherman who died at sea. The widow's teenage daughter wants to be a professional gambler and she convinces her mother to date a British man whose new in town. The widow falls for the Brit, who pretends to be in the fishing business but is actually a professional gambler. The naive daughter gets into some trouble.
Passionada is not as passionate as you may suspect. It's just a tender story about how opposites attract, and how much the nation is opening toward those who are different.
– Marta Barber,
Miami Herald,
12 Sep 2003
rotten:
Despite its porn-movie title, this predictable and uninspired romantic drama fizzles like a wet squib.
– Megan Lehmann,
New York Post,
12 Sep 2003
rotten:
Afraid to trust the strength of its simple story, it clutters it up with subplots, some of which seem to have been forgotten in the editing.
– Stephen Whitty,
Newark Star-Ledger,
12 Sep 2003
rotten:
Lacks exactly what its title promises, passion, and any real Portuguese flavor.
– Roger Moore,
Orlando Sentinel,
13 Nov 2003
fresh:
Goes down smoothly thanks to the trio of lead actors, whose enthusiasm and chemistry help make up for the routine filmmaking.