Director: Mauro Lima
Writer(s): Mauro Lima, Mariza Leão
Actor(s): Selton Mello, Cleo Pires, Júlia Lemmertz, Cássia Kiss
Production Co.: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
Country: Brazil
Year: 2008
Language and subtitle information: In Portuguese ; optional Portuguese, English and Spanish subtitles
Format: DVD
[ratings]
Summary: “In the 90’s, In Rio de Janeiro, the middle-class João Guilherme Estrella is introduced to the world of drugs consuming maconha and cocaine first and later becoming a drug-dealer with many connections inclusive in Europe. However, he spends all the money he makes in his addiction, parties with clients and friends and travels, never structuring or organizing a network or saving money. When he is arrested, he is sent to the prison first and later to the judicial asylum for treatment, reintegrating to the society. Presently João is a successful musical producer”–IMDb plot summary.
Supplemental Materials:
I enjoyed this movie because it was so different from the other ones we have watched. It talks about the drug problem in South America that is so prevalent today. Even though I enjoy watching movies on the history of Brazil, it was great to learn about a more modern problem. It was also interesting to see his mother’s unconditional love for her son despite his actions. I would recommend this movie; it is highly action packed !
This is a very interesting film that although on the surface seems like yet another movie about drug trafficking, actually does a fantastic job of dealing with the disappointments inherent in life. By stripping away the ‘glamour’ that is often associated with large scale drug dealers, the movie shows the much more mundane and disenchanting aspects of a drug dealers life. By showing how the momentum of the lifestyle carries away João, this film really conveys how sometimes even good people lose control.
Warning: the song “It’s a long and winding road” at the end of this movie will get stuck in your head!
Second warning: the movie poster makes it look like this is an action-packed thriller, but it’s not!
I think this is a fun movie to watch with friends, but artistically I found it a bit lacking. The plot isn’t very exciting, and it moves very slowly. There doesn’t seem to be much of a message behind the movie either. Instead, it almost glamorizes drugs. In the movie, the differences between the two kinds of prisons speaks volumes on the differential treatment of whites and blacks in Brazil. In this way, it provides some social commentary.
I thought this was a very interesting movie about drug trafficking in Brazil. Nothing about the movie was too complex — it had a fairly simple plot with characters I felt I had seen before, but it showed how living life on the edge is not always as excited and breathtaking as it seems. It was great that Joao tried to turn his life around but he learned things always catch up to you.
I really enjoyed this film. The issues presented in the film are not just interesting, but thought provoking. One might think that the movie was just another movie about drug trafficking, but there are several elements to the film that connect to a broader audience. The main character’s personal struggles with the relationships he had proved to be a pivotal part of the storyline and gave a good twist to the film. It was also interesting to learn that it was based on a true story.