Isabel Fillardis Movies
Legendary Brazilian director Carlos Diegues recasts the tragic myth of Orpheus in the shantytowns of Rio de Janeiro during Carnival. Orfeu de Conceicao is the most famous samba player in Brazil, and one of the most respected members of the neighborhood of Carioca Hill, a labyrinth of dirty streets and quickly made shacks ruthlessly controlled by drug lord Lucinho. Young Orfeu, though, lives a gilded life. He has his pick of a bevy of local beauties, children worship him, and the corrupt police will not harass him like the others in the area. During the run-up to Carnival, his world is turned upside down with the appearance of the gorgeous Euridice, who has just moved from the remote untamed hinterland of the Amazon. In spite of her indifference to samba music and her initial reluctance, the two soon fall passionately in love. Unfortunately, the violence of their surroundings threatens to overwhelm them. When Lucinho takes a liking to Euridice and challenges his former childhood friend, Orfeu is forced to endure a brutal test for his love. Orfeu was screened at the 1999 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Toni Garrido, Patricia Franca, (more)
- 1997
This crazy Brazilian sex comedy follows the revealing travails of Professor Silvio Proenca, a noted Brazilian folklorist from Rio who through a series of mishaps finds himself the most notorious and hunted man in his country. His odyssey begins when the middle-aged academic's beautiful wife Marina refuses to accompany him to Sao Paulo to promote his latest book. At the airport, Proenca hears the irresistible sounds of folk music drifting down a corridor. He investigates and finds a group of old friends, including the sexy Marialva. Rainstorms cancel the flight and the friends go out for a few drinks and then more drinks at her house. Eventually, the revellers depart, leaving only Marialva and the professor who by then is totally potted. He is a man of habits, and the next morning he absently arises and goes into the apartment building hallway to get freshly delivered bread only to hear the door shut and lock behind him. Poor Proenca finds himself stranded with nothing on but a horrified look. When the neighbors see him, they chase him into the street where he is seen and hailed a pervert. Soon Proenca must not only flee from passersby, but also a SWAT team, police dogs, the press and Marialva, the only one interested in saving him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Claudio Marzo, Lucia Verisimo, (more)
