Lazaro Ramos Movies
Brazilian filmmaker Aluizio Abranches, who garnered international attention with his debut feature Um Copo de Colera, directed this audacious and idiosyncratic crime thriller. When she was a young woman, Filomena Capadocio (Marieta Severo) had pledged to marry Firmino Santos Guerra (Carlos Vereza), but she opted to call off the engagement and instead wed Borges Capadscio, one of his greatest enemies. An angry Santos Guerra swore to someday take vengeance against Filomena, but waited thirty years to make good on his promise, when arranged for the cold-blooded murder of Filomena's husband and two sons. Distraught, Filomena brings together her three daughters -- Maria Pia (Luiza Mariani, Maria Rosa (Maria Luisa Mendonca) and Maria Francesca (Julia Lemmertz) - and tells them of her plan to avenge these deaths of her men. Each of the sisters is given the name of a different hired killer, and each is to arrange for the death of one of the men responsible for the slayings. Maria Pia has to free Jesuino Cruz (Wagner Moura) from jail so he can perform the hit, Maria Rosa must convince a usually honest cop (Tuca Andrada) to turn to the wrong side of the law, and Maria Francesca has the assignment of tracking down the crazed Ze des Cobras (Enrique Diaz), who likes to feast on snakes. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marieta Severo, Julia Lemmertz, (more)
João Francisco dos Santos was a figure of no small infamy in Brazil during the 1930s -- he was a flamboyantly gay drag performer who was also a notorious criminal, thoroughly unashamed of his sexual orientation and willing to defend himself with deadly force if the situation demanded. Writer and director Karim Ainouz brings dos Santos' story to the screen in this vibrant drama seasoned with music and dance. A tall and physically imposing man, dos Santos (played by Lázaro Ramos) grew up poor on the streets of Brazil; and once he reached adulthood, he shared a home in one of Rio de Janeiro's less picturesque neighborhoods with a handful of friends, including Laurita (Marcelia Cartaxo), a streetwalker; her baby daughter; Taboo (Flavio Bauraqui), a nightclub performer who sometimes turned tricks for extra cash; and Renatinho (Felippe Marques), one of dos Santos' lovers. After landing a job at a nightspot called The Blue Danube, dos Santos grew fascinated with the elaborate costumes and choreography of the stage shows, and became a singer and dancer at the club. However, when the management declined to pay him, dos Santos took matters into his own hands and demanded his salary at knifepoint, leading to the first of many stays behind bars. Upon his release, dos Santos pledged to make his name as a cross-dressing entertainer, though his fiery temper made taking advantage of him a bad idea. Madame Satã was screened as part of the "Un Certain Regard" series at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lazaro Ramos, Marcelia Cartaxo, (more)
Brazilian filmmaker Jorge Furtado makes his directorial debut with the romantic comedy Homen Que Copiava (The Man Who Copied). Andre (Lazaro Ramos) is a young man who likes to draw, but the only job he can get is making copies at a bookstore. His co-worker Marinez (Luana Piovani) tells him that she will only sleep with wealthy men, despite the fact that she's dating a poor salesman (Pedro Cardoso). Andre develops a crush on his neighbor Silvia (Leandra Leal), a young woman who works in a clothing store. In order to impress her, he comes up with a counterfeit scam using his only technological resource. Homen Que Copiava was shown at the 2003 San Sebastian Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lazaro Ramos, Leandra Leal, (more)
Brazilian filmmaker Hector Babenco directs the confrontational drama Carandiru, based on the best-selling novel by Dr. Drauzio Varella. The episodic story is set in Sao Paulo's House of Detention (referred to as Carandiru), one of Latin America's largest prison systems. The doctor (Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos) is an oncologist who arrives in the jail to test patients for HIV infection. Seeing the disease, overcrowding, and rampant circulation of drugs, the doctor comes to realize the internal power structure among the prisoners. Several narratives develop, including the attempted murder of Dagger (Milhem Cortaz), the solitary confinement of Chico (Milton Goncalves), and the romance between Lady Di (Rodrigo Santoro) and Too Bad (Gero Camilo). The doctor eventually establishes a routine and sees the prisoners as survivors, leading up to the violent conclusion: a reconstruction of the October 2, 1992, prison riot known as the Carandiru Massacre. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Luis Carlos Vasconcelos, Milhem Cortaz, (more)
- 2005
The true story of a man who rose from poverty to become a respected but controversial spiritual leader forms the basis of this historical drama. João de Camargo (Lazaro Ramos) was born into slavery in Sorocaba, Brazil, in 1858. Thirty years later, Camargo became a free man when slavery was abolished in Brazil, and he took up farming with little success. In 1906, Camargo began experiencing sacred visions, and in time the visiting spirits told him the Lord wanted him to build a church. Camargo built his house of worship and became the key prophet of a faith which embraced both Catholic teachings and the influence of African spiritual cultures which came to Brazil with the slaves. With the help of his friend Cirino (Leandro Firmino), Camargo's church became a powerful force in Brazil, but he also angered the nation's political powers that be, as well as the leaders of Brazil's Catholic clergy. Cafundó also stars musician Leona Cavalli as the beautiful Rosario, who becomes a powerful ally in his struggle. A critical and commercial success in Brazil, Cafundó received its North American premiere at the 2005 Vancouver Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lazaro Ramos, Leandro Firmino, (more)
A simple cruise turns into a jealous battle for the affections of a sultry prostitute as the co-owners of a small cargo boat make their way down the Brazilian coastline in director Sergio Machado's stylish and sultry erotic drama. Deco (Lazaro Ramos) and Naldinho (Wagner Moura) are best friends who make their living by renting out their modest cargo boat. Approached by 20-year-old prostitute Karinna (Alice Braga) for a ride down the coast, the trio sets out into the waters with both Deco and Naldinho employing her professional services throughout the course of the journey. After a fateful knife fight at a Cachoeira cockfight leaves Naldinho struggling for his life, Deco finds himself slowly falling for Karinna as his badly wounded friend battles back from the brink of death. Though Karinna's relationship with Deco becomes increasingly intimate during Naldinho's convalescence, it doesn't take long for the kindly prostitute to realize that Deco isn't the only one with intentions of claiming her as his own. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alice Braga, Lazaro Ramos, (more)
- 2005
Brazilian director Jorge Furtado (The Man Who Copied) helms the Portuguese-language juvenile murder mystery My Uncle Killed a Guy (AKA Meu Tio Matou Um Cara). The picture follows a fifteen-year-old boy named Duca (Darlan Cunha) who overhears his uncle Eder (Lazaro Ramos) confessing to his family the murder of his lover Fatima's (Deborah Secco) spouse. The intuitive Duca, however, promptly deduces that Eder is fronting for someone else, and sets about solving the mystery with the help of a cute young girl named Isa (Sophia Reis). ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Darlan Cunha, Lazaro Ramos, (more)
- 2006
In Mexican director Paul Leduc's crime drama El Cobrador: In God We Trust, Peter Fonda plays an unnamed sociopathic millionaire who lives in Miami and gets a charge out of running down female pedestrians in his oversized SUV. Meanwhile, El Cobrador, a Brazilian mineworker, travels to the Big Apple and kills everyone he can find. The Fonda character then heads down to Mexico, where he partners up with Argentinean photographer Ana (Antonella Costa), and the two embark on a bloody crime spree à la Bonnie and Clyde. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
