Director: Jorge Furtado
Writer: Jorge Furtado
Actor(s): Lázaro Ramos, Leandra Leal, Pedro Cardoso, Luana Piovani, Carlos Cunha Filho, Júlio Andrade, Paulo José
Production Co.: TLA Releasing, Columbia Tristar International
Country: Brazil
Year: 2003
Language and subtitle information: Portuguese with optional English subtitles
Format: DVD
[ratings]
Summary:
Photocopier operator, André is attracted to Silvia, his neighbor, whom he likes to watch with a telescope. Following her, he discovers that Sylvia works at an expensive shop. When André falls in love with Sylvia he puts his photocopier to another use and prints money for himself so he can afford to go and shop at her store.
Supplemental Materials:
The man who copied is a Brazilian film about a man of the working classes, André, who photocopies day after day, hour after hour. For me, the twist at the end of the plot was most surprising and intriguing. I think this film speaks about life in the working classes, the importance of money in our society, greed when we are introduced to fast rewards, and above all, love. It is comic and stressful at the same time, and is a really interesting social commentary about life in Brazil for Andre and Silvia. I also love that Silvia is played by an actress who stars in a novela called “Cheias de Charme”.
This film shows the dreams and obstacles of the lower middle class in Brazil through André, a young man dedicated to winning the love of his neighbor. André resorts to a life of crime in order to impress the girl next door, and eventually to emerge from the monotonous life of the working lower middle class. The action and dialogue in this film engaging, but the acting and themes are mediocre. This standard romance tale includes a desperate man risking his job by photocopying money and committing other crimes in order to achieve his goals of finding love and a better life.
The Man Who Copied reflects popular sentiment amongst members of the lower working class of Brazil that legitimate career opportunities are lacking, and bettering one’s standard of life is nearly impossible. The protagonist, in an attempt to impress a cute girl, ventures into counterfeiting money. This leads him through various uncomfortable situations that, with a little bit of luck, ultimately change his life for the better.
O Homem Que Copiava is about the search for love and money and the intrinsically linked characteristics of the two. Though André, the protagonist, thinks he needs money to conquer Sílvia, it seems that she doesn’t care whether or not he’s rich. I like the message that the film illustrates through this relationship: men don’t necessarily need money to win over women. On the other hand, the change in Marinês’s attraction for Cardoso, just because of his newfound wealth, presents a terrible message: men need to be rich in order to get a pretty girl. I think that Furtado shouldn’t have supported this type of message. He could’ve developed Cardoso’s character during the plot and shown that Marinês choses him based on the growth he has demonstrated.
“O homem que copiava” does a great job in showing the conflict of Brazilian poverty in an optimistic light. Although André’s economic struggles are extremely burdensome, he is still somehow able to dream and enjoy life. During one scene designs, created by André, depict the episode of his life when he was expelled from school. These designs embody the protagonist’s youthfulness, creativity, and optimism, despite his misfortune. I would recommend this film to someone who wants to watch a story of imagination, growth, and optimism.
This film follows the boring life of a copy machine worker, who spends all his days and hours photocopying a variety of information. As he attempts to pursue a woman he’s fallen in love with, he becomes consciously embarrass of his “profession”. In an exciting series of events, the man figures out ways to cheat the system and obtain loads of money using his photocopy machine. The film demonstrates the frustrations of the lack of opportunities in lower class Brazil and the extents to which people will cheat the system to counteract this reality. It is an exciting and suspenseful film and projects an interesting intention at corruption by lower class citizens in Brazil.