Brazilian Western (2013)

One of the worst movies I've ever seen

An Exercise In Nonsense

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Brazilian director Rene Sampaio has delivered a gritty and stylish gangster movie set in Brazil. He has combined a western undertone, which is why this film is called 'Brazilian Western'. Rolling Stone Magazine says this film is a lot like 'Romeo and Juliet'. While you may see that poetic tragedy between two people here, the film plays out a bit like 'Scarface' as well. There isn't really anything new or fresh with this story, as I'm sure you've all seen or heard this before, but it's how Sampaio tells us this story and Fabricio Boliveira's performance that really makes this film worth watching.The film takes place some twenty years ago or so when Brazil's political and social climate where on the verge of major change. The drug trade and corrupt cops were in the spotlight, which is where we meet a young Joao (Boliveira), who is seen killing an officer of the law. Through flashbacks, we see why this took place, and how times have changed as Joao has gotten older.Due to his skin color and poor upbringing, it didn't seem like Joao had much of a choice in what he was destined to do. It was either make furniture for low wages or get involved in the drug trade. Joao decided to do both, but when he meets a beautiful young woman named Maria Lucia (Isis Valverde), the daughter of a wealthy and powerful senator, Joao changes his mind to become straight laced.But, a rival drug lord named Jeremias (Felipe Abib) has diabolical plans for Joao, even though he's out of the drug game, which forces Joao back into a life of violence and drugs, with nobody looking out for him. Part of this movie are difficult to watch, due to the gory violent scenes that take place with certain characters, but it never seems gratuitous.Besides telling a tragic yet great story, Sampaio wanted to show what the political and social issues were in this particular part of the world where skin color mattered at this point in time. You can't just help but feel sorry for the characters here, because Boliveira gives us an excellent performance with Joao as he struggles to always do the right thing, but never catches a break. As the walls come tumbling down on him, we soon figure out there is no escape for him, which Sampaio plays out in true, typical western fashion.

I'm very disappointed with the result of this movie.I have enjoyed the song "Faroeste Caboclo" since I was a children, hearing their verses and melody and imagining every characters and scenarios.Actually, there is nothing that I have supposed that have showed in the movie.The chronology is completely different of the original song, and the characters are so far that what it describe.It starts well but ends in a poor way.I really don't recommend.

This was the biggest disappointment I had with a movie in a long time. With a great song as the inspiration and a lot of advertising everywhere, I supposed it would be at least a popcorn-watchable movie.I was wrong.The badly written script doesn't let you get into any of the characters, some scenes happen too fast, others too slow (and too often, like the soap-opera style sex scenes, for god's sake!) and from the moment she gets involved with the playboy, I just had to fast-forward it. It was just too ridiculous.A lot of gun-firing, random and unnecessary killing of people, bad sex scenes for horny pre-teens and finally, the shitty ending: a girl that gets pregnant from the arch-enemy of the main character, João, because she loves him and wants to save him from the prison that he was sent to after a super-fast arrest. Why he got arrested? Because they got caught together by her father. It was so painful I really had to write this review at 3am.

This is a fascinating film, its qualities so much above its flaws, it places you in Brasilia, a city which was modern, but now looks beautiful in its "fifties" style. Brasilia is also the city of "Legião Urbana" a musical group, whose leader, Renato Russo composed the song on which the film is based upon. A sort of "Django Unchained", a western at heart, but where the outstanding performance of Fabricio Boliveira outshines a similar role played by Jamie Foxx. Boliveira is João, a man doomed from the start, because of social and color discrimination and who will "do what a man gotta do" in a way I am sure Leone would applaud. References to "Winchester 73" and "Duel in the Sun" show us the director and scriptwriter knew their subject. Isis Valverde is a beautiful and human Maria the impossible love of João, and Felibe Abib, the "playboy" of Brasilia, the cruel, tough guy. The cinematography is spectacular,conveying a Brasilia so far unknown to the screen.