I have seen City of God and Cirandiru and Im looking for some more movies along the same genra to watch. Can someone help me out?
Mate,you should check two films,at least: #Bicho de Sete Cabeças and #Cazuza. Both very good films,specially the 1st one!
Hmm... Central Station was pretty good - albeit sad but good. The movie version of Tieta Do Agreste was also okay and had some good moments but what to expect with a filme with Sonia Braga? Many don't think it's as good as the soap opera but I and the woman enjoyed it - it's more of a comedy. I didn't care much for "Me, You, Them", to be honest. And Cidade de Deus was okay but dammit it reminded me of a Brazilian version of the blaxploitation films in the 90's (Menace II Society, Boyz in the Hood), etc. There's some cross-over films for main-stream USA, like the movie "Bossa Nova". It's in English and Portuguese, and is more of a romantic comedy. And I haven't met a person yet that didn't like "Woman on Top", although Penelope Cruz is hardly Brazilian, obviously, and it has some popular stereotypes.
One Brazilian movie that I thoroughly enjoyed is "Uma Onda no Ar" ("Something in the Air"). It is a true story about an underground radio station that broadcasted from the favelas of Belo Horizonte. The station helped give the poor people a voice and helped educate them about government issues, etc. The only problem is that I haven't been able to find a copy of this anywhere in the U.S. I saw it in the theater at the Latin American Film Festival that is held in Atlanta every year, and I saw it in 2003.
City of God was a breathtaking film, but only if judge it on its own merits. I saw it before all the hype and it blew me away. It seems a bit tamer now, because of the heap of exposure that in a way has killed the effect it once had. The cinematography is stunning. I enjoyed Behind the Sun by Walter Salles. And o invasor, simply for its killer soundtrack. Bus 174 is a good film you should check out Neo. I rather enjoyed it, especially given that it really happened.
Last week I saw a Brazilian movie at a friends house. Although, I think I bored him to death making him translate the whole thing. It was based on a true story, about a jail massacre that happened in Brazil a few years back I guess. I'm not sure whether it was all real though, maybe you guys can tell me. I don't know what the title of the movie is, but I bet you all know what movie I'm talking about. For a person that does not know anything about the Brazilian movie industry, i'm pretty impressed.
Well, if you really want some top movies out there, check out anything by Glauber Rocha, who is probably Brazil's most famous director. His two most famous movies are Deus e o Diabo na Terra do Sol (God and the Devil in the Land of the Sun) and Terra em Transe...this last movie doesnt really have a literal translation...it has like 4 titles on IMDB.com. Both are classic. I have a couple other old school moves, Como Era Gostoso o Meu Francês...it's kind of like Cast Away, except instead of a Fedex guy, it's a missionary during the colonial era trying to survive...with cannibals. hah. Probably not for everyone. "Xica da Silva" is another movie from the 70s. It's about a slave woman who uses her body to gain power. It's pretty campy since it's from the 70s, but funny at the same time. These movies above are more for film buffs...so yeah, for cinematic techniques, etc. still solid, but not for everyone. Some more recent movies: If you liked City of God, you might like Pixote, which is a simlilar film, except it was made 20 years earlier. Brazil has been enjoying a cinematic revival. I'm sure in 20 years, film students will be studying this recent movement going on in Brazil...a revival of the Cinema Novo stuff from the 60s. Abril Despedaçado (Behind the Sun)-- Loved this movie, directed by Walter Salles. Basically, it's like the Hatfields vs McCoys...vendetta killings. You can find this one in English...it has Rodrigo Santoro in it, who is well known in Brazil. O Homem Que Copiava (Man Who Copied) -- This movie was great too. Think of it as like an Amelie...except from a guy's perspective and with lots of crime. hah. O Homem do Ano (The Man of the Year) -- This is a gangster movie. Guy gets drawn in as a hitman when he kills someone no one liked. Then, he gets some unwanted fame and people want to hire him to kill. It's pretty sweet. Terra Estrangeira (Foreign Land) -- This is one of Walter Salles' earlier films from the mid 90s. It's a love or hate film. I thought it was decent. It's like a thriller. This guy leaves Brazil for Spain after his mother dies. O Que É Isso, Companheiro? (Four Days in September) -- This movie was nominated for Best Foreign Film at the Oscars. Good old fashion thriller that takes place in the early years of the Brazilian dictatorship. Ônibus 174 (Bus 174) - This is probably one of the best documentaries I've ever seen. Hands down. What makes this one so amazing is that it actually seems like you're watching a movie. A poor street twentysomething, a victim of the police shooting massacres in his youth, holds an entire bus hostage. And it's all caught on tape.
I liked Boleiros, it's about football, great movie. Recently they produced "Boleiros 2" but I didn't watch, someone saw?
I have to catch up on my Brazilian cinema but Pixote is definitely an amazing movie. Like someone said if you liked City of God you should check it out.
Yeah that was a good movie. They didnt use real actors, all the characters were from the favelas of Brazil. And sadly, the kid who played Pixote died shortly after the movie was made.
Only the strong Sorry outside of City of God thats the only one I know. Even though it was probably American made? What does Paranaue mean it's killing me?
I'm surprised no-one mentioned the film "God is Brazilian", a film with Antonio Fagundes. Actually, Fagundes was also in "Bossa Nova"... the woman love this guy... 'sofisticated', etc. etc. Meh. The director, Carlos Diegues, also did "Bye Bye Brasil", "Quilombo" and the last remake to "Orfeu", done in 1999.
"O Pagador de Promessas" is a very good early Brazilian movie. If you can find it, it's worth watching.
argh!!! Quilombo does not belong anywhere near this thread, and to a lesser degree neither does the new Orfeu. I know you were simply mentioning other movies from the director, but just the mention of Quilombo has dirtied this thread. The original Orfeu (Black Orpheus), on the other hand, is one of the better movies ever made. IMO, another movie that doesn´t need to be mentioned here is Se Eu Fosse Você.
Hey I never said it was any good. On the other hand I love the original "Orfeu". The only thing I actually liked from the remake to Orfeu was the soundtrack, done by Caetano Veloso. Speaking of bad movies... does that movie "Blame it on Rio" count since it's really just an American flick? You know, the one with Demi Moore when she was maybe 19, Michael Caine and Michelle Johnson.
haha. i actually thought blame it on rio was pretty funny. sure, there were stereotypes everywhere (chicks topless everywhere on the beach, parrots in the houses and stuff), but it was still an entertaining movie. plus, demi and michelle were pretty hot at that age. haha.
It's just a line in a famous capoeira song. Paranauê, Paranauê, Paraná... Vou dizer minha mulher, Paraná/Capoeira me venceu, Paraná//I am going to tell my wife, Paraná/Capoeira beat me, Paraná... Paraná is a State in the Southern Brazil (where I live) and also a big river. Coming back from the war in Paraguay (19th Century), black soldiers (with the Brazilian army) who played capoeira sang this song while crossing the river.