jofilho
This movie is a film adaptation of a very funny and traditional Brazilian story. The actors are very good and the director created the perfect ambiance for the scenes. It's a movie about a very particular Brazilian way of life. You will not find at this movie big cities like São Paulo or Rio, or big forests like Amazon, nothing. You will find the Sertão: a deserted area in Brazil where a lot of people lives with few resources and needs to use the creativity to survive. Maybe, for non-Brazilians, the language can be a problem, because most of the jokes have some linguistic aspect. But this is not a very big problem. The film is funny for everybody and have a good message at the end.
fredmontier
Before watching it, get this straight ! 1- This movie is an adaptation from a original play and smaller works from the same author (1955).2- This is not how Brazil is today in the country side but how it was at the beginning of the 20 century (circa 1920). Sort of Brazilian Wild West (in our case Wild East).3- This was a TV series much longer and was reduced to almost 1/3 of its original size for the theaters and DVD due to the great viewers ratings of the TV series.4- Much of the jokes and characters are local to the region shown in the movie: Sertão Brasileiro.5- To understanding the movie you should really know Brazilian Portuguese, some local accents related to the plot and the colloquial words used make it very tricky to translate, and in many cases, impossible. I watched also with English subtitles, and believe me: most of the jokes are gone.6- There is no parallels between this movie and "Cidade de Deus" (City of God). You can argue about the technical aspects of them but for me, is like comparing "much ado about nothing" (from Shakespeare) and American Pie. To really appreciate "much ado..." you you must master the English Victorian world completely (of course... its out of my league. Eng. is not my first !). Or like old Italian comedies from the 60 and 70 where many joke relay on gestures that a foreign just cant understand.7- And about the religious ending, its a joke inside the joke. And of course, if you cut a work that takes 3 1/2 hours to just 90 minutes and thinks that its the same thing....for example, for a native Brazilian, its just hilarious to see a black Jesus, a Zelot Devil and organized one following rules by the book.In the other hand, you could compare this movie to DOGMA (Kevin Smith). And its way better than DOGMA.Thats all folks...And of course... I'm a Brazilian.
Nikita Rybak
It's just sad. For hundredth time I see promising start in a Brazilian movie, but it stumbles somewhere towards the end.Here we have a case of screwball comedy. In the beginning, it presents some appealing characters and plenty of funny jokes and fooling around. You may not like the genre, but you gotta admit it's a good example of it. And, unlike many new Hollywood productions, this movie doesn't employ below-the-belt jokes and toilet humor at all. Everything is built on dialogs and acting.Then, after about an hour, we're introduced to the Lord, Virgin Mary and the Devil. Frankly, I still don't know if it's a religious mockery or supposed to be taken seriously, because comedy elements mix with rather grave matters here. But in either case, it's plain dull. We spend half an hour in heaven, without much action, plot development or jokes.What fills this time? Infamous "social context". We're repeatedly shown sorrowful images and told sad stories: boy whose family has been shot by police, misadventures of poor homeless children, etc. But, as you expect in a comedy, they fail to provoke any genuine emotions. Does every Brazilian movie has to thrust this "social context" down your throat? If you start it as a comedy, finish it as a comedy, for God's sake! Not every movie has to be City of God.Maybe, this 30-minutes fragment does a good job at presenting Christian values? Hell, no. It shows faith as some bureaucratic institute and overloads it with unnecessary catholic mythology. It reminds me of the Sunday school, where kids are taught shell, but not spirit. (Forgive me if you had better religious education). Like Greek myths, only much less imaginative. So, if you look for something to present ideas of Christianity to your Chinese friend, please continue looking.I still think it's pretty remarkable movie, if you're interested in Brazilian culture or learn Portuguese, but as a comedy it's half-baked.7/10
patygirl_df
***SPOILERS***Imagine a fantastic tale about two unique characters in a not so expounded Brazil. Now add the most intelligent and splendid humor and the most talented performances of the always great Selton Melo and the phenomenon Matheus Nachtergaele. Don't forget that the funny Denise Fraga and Diogo Vilela are in the production, as the wonderful Lima Duarte, Marco Nanini and Rogério Cardoso. If you are still not convinced that this is just one of the best movies ever made, remember that the only Brazilian actress ever nominated to an Oscar is priceless as the Compadecida.I guess I've convinced you all, haven't I? So, have a lot of fun, watching one of the most inventive, original and authentic Brazilian movie. I know that a lot of jokes will be untranslatable and it will be very hard to related with that reality, but I know that it isn't impossible because I know that there's poverty in everywhere in this world and I know that there's corruption in Catholic churches in everywhere in this world and I know that people cheat their husbands in everywhere in the world.The unique Brazilian touch is the humor of the two protagonists, one is the most creative liar and the other is the most sprightly illiterate guy. While Chicó spends his time getting trouble and telling the most incredible things that "happen" to him, João Grilo uses all the briskness that he has to take them out of the trouble and just survive.The thing is that Chicó's last trouble was huge and João Grilo ended up being killed by a bandit. That's one of the most funny scenes, he has to be solved in a trial, so that he can goes to Haven. Since he used to commit a lot of sins, the only way to get out of this is with Mary's help.It's really rare to find a comedy that succeeds criticizing important groups of the society, making us reflect, criticizing concepts (Jesus is black) and that also make us don't stop laughing during the entire movie. Just great! Don't miss it!
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