Paulo José Movies

Directed by Monique Gardenberg and based on the novel by Chico Buarque, Benjamim is the story of aging model Benjamim Zambraiais. Thirty years after the peak of his career, he meets a young woman named Ariela. He is attracted to her because she reminds him of the love of his life, Castana. Despite her physical resemblance, her attitude and personality is strikingly different. This clash of romantic involvements and the state of Brazilian politics send Benjamim on an emotional journey. Starring Paulo José, Cléo Pires, and Danton Mello. Benjamim premiered at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

Four short stories by the noted Brazilian author Joao Guimaraes Rosa are adapted for the screen in this anthology feature. In the first segment, an outlaw (Caca Carvalho) terrorizing a small town is killed by a mild-mannered fellow. Next, a landowner who has lost his loved ones decides to give his land to the local peasants. In the third story, a farmer develops a sincere but unusual attraction to a servant girl (Giulia Gam) in his employ. And finally, the spirits of the dead mingle with the living as the town comes out to watch a man send his mother and daughter to a mental institution. While Outras Estorias was directed by Pedro Bial, Bial credited Caca Carvalho and Giulia Gam with directing his actors. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In this drama, the lives of the people who dub the voices in movies and television shows from foreign countries are explored. In this case, the foreign shows are from the U.S., and the language they are being dubbed into is Brazilian Portuguese. Marialva (Marilia Pera)is a Brazilian woman who dubs the (fictional) U.S. show, "Mary Shadow," and she is obsessed by that show, and with her desire to get to Hollyood. She will do whatever it takes to get there. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

Marcello is a college student who is far more interested in sex than books. He continually borrows money from his two sisters as he pursues two different women. Ana is the intellectually superior student and Marta is the air-headed television actress. Marta and Marcello are kidnapped by a carload of drunken revelers one night. Both are nearly raped, the woman's clothes are torn off, and Marcello is threatened with castration in this uneven drama. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Gulherme (Paulo Jose) is a victim of torture who escapes his captors and heads for the hills. He poses as a wealthy businessman, fooling the local mayor and his beautiful daughter in a thrilling detective drama. Part two deals with legendary outlaw Papo Amarelo (Davi Jose), a street urchin who worked his way up the crime ladder to become a hero to some of the poorer Brazilians. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Six people collaborate to direct this comedy consisting of eight different vignettes. Religion, sports-hero worship, love, and cross-dressing are all topics explored here. A man also grows increasingly stupid out of sheer boredom from his dead end job, and the harmful influence of television is the subject of yet another story. Directors include Alberto and Valerique Salva, Carlos Alberto Camuyrano, Daniel Chutoriansky, Paulo Verissimo and Carlos Alberto Abreu. The individual stories average just under 10 minutes each and often contain moments of hilarious slapstick. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide

Helena Ignez and Paul Jose star in this plodding melodrama from Brazil. A dedicated priest tries to help a young girl from the village escape from an unwanted suitor. He succeeds but the two are soon surrounded by an angry mob. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide