1985 saw the release of Hector Babenco’s The Kiss of the Spider Woman, starring Raul Julia and William Hurt, which he won his only Oscar for.

It was based on Argentine Manuel Puig’s 1976 novel, which featured the daily conversations between two prison inmates.

The story then found itself as a musical, on Broadway, in 1992, where it swept up at the Tony Awards a year later, winning seven awards, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Original Score.

With that kind of success it was inevitable that it would find itself being adapted for the big screen, in the safe hands of its director, the Oscar-winning Bill Condon.

1983, in the politically volatile Argentina, trans woman window dresser Luis Molina (Tonatiuh), has been convicted of public indecency for same-sex acts, and now founds herself in prison.

She is put in the same cell as Valentin (Diego Luna), imprisoned for his political beliefs, but he is not a fan of her flamboyancy.

Undeterred, she continues to express her love of cinema, particularly musicals, especially one in particular The Kiss of the Spider Woman, starring his heroine Ingrid Luna (Jennifer Lopez), as she begins to recall the film to him.

As she carries on, Valentin begins to warm to her, but little does he know that she has an ulterior motive, put there by the powers that be to get as much information from Valentin as possible.

You can see why this film was adapted for cinema; the medium is probably best suited to be able to portray the dinginess of a small prison cell, and the glamorous scope of a Hollywood musical, as it cuts effortlessly between the two.

It’s also nice that the two prisoners also play characters in the film that Luis is describing, making the connection between the two even stronger.

The musical numbers, featuring Lopez, are very stylish, and convey the essence of classic Hollywood musicals, with striking sets and costumes. The songs also help with the story, but aren’t exactly catchy, and not the type you’ll be humming afterwards at any time. It also features Luna singing, but thankfully there’s not too much of it, because he’s a musical weakling unable to carry a tune.

Despite its success on Broadway, its theatrical release has been considered a bomb, only making $2 million at the box office against a $30 million budget. And you can see why.

The musical numbers are vibrant, the performances good – especially from Tonatiuh who shines charisma, but Condon’s direction is a little heavy-handed, with its two hour runtime on the excessive side; it could have done with being 20 -30 minutes shorter for a much tighter experience.

Still, if you’re a fan of musicals, especially the one it’s based on, its lingering kiss is one you’re likely to savour.