A woman learning to trust men again finds herself falling for a man who may not be trustworthy in this romantic comedy. Celia Amonte (
Sofia Milos) is a beautiful woman of Portuguese-American heritage who lost her husband, a fisherman, to an accident at sea. Eight years after his death, Celia remains loyal to her late husband's memory, even though her equally lovely teenage daughter, Vicky (
Emmy Rossum), frequently encourages her to start dating again, and has even tried fixing Celia up with eligible men. Unknown to her mother, Vicky has become a frequent visitor to a local gambling casino, where she meets a handsome Englishman named Charlie Beck (
Jason Isaacs), who gambles for a living. Vicky urges Charlie to see Celia perform at a local nightclub, where she sings the passionate Portuguese songs of the fado style. Charlie is immediately taken with her, but Celia isn't especially interested in him. Vicky makes a deal with Charlie -- if he'll show her how to cheat at blackjack, she'll persuade Celia to go out with him. In time, Charlie's charm eventually conquers Celia's reservations, and a romance begins to bloom, However, Charlie has made the mistake of telling Celia he's a fisherman, and he's not sure how much longer he can keep up the charade. Passionada also features
Theresa Russell,
Seymour Cassel, and Lupe Ontiveros. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide