Gilberto Gil Movies
- 2007
In the late '60s, musician Tom Zé was one of the few Brazilian musicians striving to maintain the vitality of his native country's traditional music by introducing socially conscious lyrics and flamboyant pop-rock stylistics into the familiar formula. The result was a new form of music that came to be known as the Tropicalismo movement. Later, when devoted fan and fellow musician David Byrne reissued the music of Zé, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and Os Mutantes, American fans began to get a grasp on just how much this innovative musical form influenced not only popular music, but politics as well. In the following years, Zé collaborated with such popular acts as Chicago's Tortoise while attracting an increasingly large audience. A perpetual innovator, Zé even foreshadowed the "mash-up" craze by mixing Deep Purple's "Smoke on the Water" with the Beatles' "Hey Jude" and infusing the tunes with an infectious samba flavor nearly 30 years before the rest of the world caught on. At the turn of the 21st century, Zé was still going strong, and now filmmaker Decio Matos Jr. offers a look at precisely how the enduring musician has managed to buck the fly-by-night trends and remain relevant for decades. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2005
Even those cineastes who fail to recognize the name Vinicius De Moraes will know at least two of his works; he was the Brazilian belletrist who provided the source play for the legendary Black Orpheus (1959), directed by Marcel Camus, and authored the pop standard "The Girl from Impanema," sung by Astrud Gilberto. But this only represents the tip of the proverbial iceberg. A cultural genius by any definition, De Moraes built up a fantastic body of work as a playwright, lyricist and poet and eventually qualified as a national icon. With the documentary Vinicius, director Miguel Faria, Jr. pays homage to De Moraes, and takes a long, loving look at the man's life, career and myriad accomplishments, by intercutting archival footage, interviews and musical renditions of the artist's songs, performed by famous Brazilian singers. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Camila Morgado, Ricardo Blat, (more)
Latin multi-instrumentalist Gilberto Gil turns his attentions towards the guitar in this release that captures the popular recording artist live during a three day stint at Rio de Janeiro's Canecao in 2004. In addition to performing nineteen songs including "Chuck Berry fields forever", "Asa branca", and "Cambalache", Gil is joined onstage by special guest Jorge Mautner for a special performance of Mautner's "Maracatu atômico". ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Brazilian pop-vocalist Ivete Sangalo is joined onstage by special guest Margareth Menezes in this release of a concert originally staged at Salvador's Fonte Nova Stadium in 2003. With a twenty-five song set list including such hits as "Carro Velho", "Sorte Grande", "Astral", and "Faz Tempo", this concert has something for every Sangalo fan. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tatau, Daniela Mercury, (more)
In this performance filmed live at Sao Paulo's Directv Hall in December of 2001, Latin multi-instrumentalist Gilberto Gil pays tribute to the late Bob Marley with a rousing evening of reggae that includes such classics as "Buffalo Soldier", "Rebel Music", "Positive Vibration", "Three Little Birds", and more. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 2000
- PG13
- Add Me, You, Them to Queue
The legendary Brazilian songsmith Gilberto Gil supplies the score for this reality-based comedy, in which an independent-minded woman decides that if one live-in husband doesn't fulfill her needs, she can always add more. The film begins when Darlene (Regina Case) returns to her small, dusty hometown in northern Brazil to receive her mother's blessing for her for young son Dimas. When she arrives, she finds that her mother has died; her funeral occurs the day Darlene arrives. Despondent over her new predicament, she accepts an extemporaneous marriage proposal from her neighbor Osias (Lima Duarte) and moves in with him. It becomes clear to Darlene, however, that Osias wants little more than a live-in maid. Darlene becomes pregnant and bears a child -- who bears no resemblance to the light-skinned Osias. When Osias' cousin Zezinho (Stenio Garcia) comes to town and takes an immediate liking to Darlene, she doesn't turn him away -- before long, she's bearing his son as well. As the eager-to-please Zezinho takes over her housekeeping duties, Darlene decides that the one thing she's lacking in her life is true passion, and fills that void with a sugar cane worker named Ciro (Luis Vasconcelos), who moves in as well. Eu Tu Eles was purportedly inspired by a Brazilian news story about a woman in a similar alternative-living situation; the film screened at the 2000 Cannes, Tokyo, and Toronto Film Festivals before making its stateside premiere. ~ Michael Hastings, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Regina Case, Lima Duarte, (more)
- 1996
This experimental Brazilian film offers a tuneful, decidedly unique look at the life of Brazil's first recording artist Mario Reis, who was well loved for making his music accessible to audiences from every social stratum. Reis also discovered some of his country's most popular singers including Noel Rosa Ismael Silva and composers such as Tom Jobim and Hector Villa-Lobos. The film playfully unfolds like a fractured music video feature many kitschy images interspersed with actual performances. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1987
- R
In this highly stylized Brazilian drama a sax player fondly remembers one wonderful night spent with his life's love and decides to find her again. He embarks upon a quest through the wild streets of Rio to find her. Along the way he meets an assortment of odd urban underworld characters. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Guilherme Fontes, Milton Goncalves, (more)
- 1986
This drama is an adaptation of a 1935 novel by Jorge Amado. Baldo is a black man from the wrong side of the tracks whose lifetime occupations keep changing. He works at being a servant, thief, boxer, ne'er-do-well, circus performer, and finally a strike organizer. Throughout this daunting array of activities, he carries a torch for a fair-haired beauty from the opposite side of the tracks whose own life changes from pampered to impoverished, and from impoverished to drug-ridden. She loves Baldo, but their destinies never seem to cross at the right place or the right time. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Charles Balano, Francoise Goussard, (more)
Quilombo de Palmares was a real-life democratic society, created in Brazil in the 17th century. This incredibly elaborate (and surprisingly little-known) film traces the origins of Quilombo, which began as a community of freed slaves. The colony becomes a safe harbor for other outcasts of the world, including Indians and Jews. Ganga Zumba (Toni Tornado) becomes president of Quilombo, the first freely elected leader in the Western Hemisphere. Naturally, the ruling Portuguese want to subjugate Zumba and his followers, but the Quilombians are ready for their would-be oppressors. The end of this Brave New World is not pleasant, but the followers of Zumba and his ideals take to the hills, where they honor his memory to this day. Writer/director Carlos Diegues takes every available opportunity to compare the rise and fall of Quilombo with the state of affairs in modern-day Brazil. Still, the film is refreshingly free of self-righteous oratory, and serves as an excellent introduction to anyone intrigued by the political history of South America. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Antonio Pompeo, Zeze Motta, (more)
- 1984
Featuring one performance after another by Gilbert Gil and his band, this routine musical has a minor storyline: a university professor is asked to follow the band around on their tour for a thesis on mass communication -- and he falls in love with one of Gil's fans. Their romance blossoms as the beat goes on. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gilberto Gil
- 1982
- Add Spirit of Samba: The Black Music of Brazil to QueueAdd Spirit of Samba: The Black Music of Brazil to top of Queue
The music and dance of samba has gained international predominance in a little more than a century. The spirit of samba can be traced to the state of Bahia on the eastern coast of Brazil. The word itself means "party" and found life when ex-slaves of Bahia moved to the cities, bringing their style of music and dance. This one-hour documentary takes a comprehensive and thorough look at samba, from its origins to its international acclaim and its influence on other styles of music. This video is a celebrated tour of Brazil -- its people, its culture, and the schools of samba in preparation for Carnivale. This documentary includes some wonderful colorful and vibrant footage of the samba and Carnivale, as well as interviews with some of Brazil's shining samba stars. ~ Forrest Spencer, All Movie Guide
- 1968
Brasil , Anno 2000 was the second directorial effort of ex-journalist Walter Lima Jr. This is the man who in 1987 gave us Dolphin, a fantasy about a man who turns into the title character and goes about seducing every woman in a small fishing community. We're telling you this so that you don't expect a traditional sci-fi effort while watching Brasil Anno 2000. Lima's personal spin on the future may not always be uplifting, but rest assured it's sharp and satirical. As far as we know, Brasil Anno 2000 has not yet been released in an English-language version. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Reggae band Cidade Negro perform a set of several of their greatest hits in this episode of MTV Brasil's version of Unplugged. Among the songs included in Acustico MTV: Cidade Negro are "A Sombra da Maldade," "Johnny B. Goode," "Onde Você Mora?," and many others. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gilberto Gil
