Joaquim Leitão Movies
In 1995, Portuguese filmmaker Joaquim Leitão released his fourth film, which would become the top-grossing film in his country's history -- the sharp comedy Adao e Eva/Adam and Eve. Originally a law student in the early '70s, Leitão graduated from the Escola Superior de Cinema at the Conservatório Nacional with a degree in film editing in 1980. By then he had already directed episodes of the television series Contos Tradicionais Portugueses/Portuguese Folk Tales (1979). Leitão made his first feature film, Duma Vez por Todas/Play...Boy, in 1986. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 2006
Fernando Lopes, a leading figure of the Portuguese cinema's New Wave, wrote and directed this semi-improvised look at two strangers who find they share a common bond while traveling together. Dinis (Rogerio Samora) is a man in his 40's who is charmingly arrogant on the outside, but hides a deep-seated insecurity and carries the burden of some unpleasant secrets. While driving cross-country, Dinis meets Maria (Carla Chambel) at a rest stop; she's young, attractive and self-assured, and when she tells him she needs a ride, he offers to let her tag along. Both Dinis and Maria seem wary about sharing the details of their lives with one another, but in time they find common ground by talking about their families; both have troubled relationships with their parents but are searching for a way to mend their fences. Maria longs to visit her grandmother Pilar (Marcia Breia), and eventually Dinis grudging agrees to take her to her home. Pilar is a wise and compassionate woman whose warmth and generosity has an unexpected healing effect for both Maria and Dinis. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rogério Samora, Carla Chambel, (more)
- 1999
Veteran director Antonio-Pedro Vasconcelos spins this gritty, unsentimental tale about underage street kids in Portugal. The film opens with a teenaged worker at a bakery getting dumped off at a hospital after losing his finger. The boss instructs the youth's father to tell the doctors that he lost his digit playing with a knife, but fearing an investigation, the boss subsequently dumps his other underage workers, including 13-year old Jaime (Saul Fonseca). Jaime is struggling to mend his tattered family. His mother threw his father out of the house and has taken up with a disreputable Brazilian. His heartbroken father moved into a shack and has been unemployed since his moped was stolen. Jaime's hopes that he could reunite his family by buying his dad a replacement scooter are dashed when the Brazilian steals his cash; Jaime subsequently moves out of his mom's place and in with his father. Meanwhile, Jaime and his sidekick Ulisses (Sandro Silva) sleep during their days at school and look for job opportunities at night. Jaime won a special jury prize at the 1999 San Sebastian Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Saul Fonseca, Fernanda Serrano, (more)
- 1998
One of Portugal's most popular films of 1998, and the winner of three of that country's Golden Globe awards ("Best Film," "Best Actor" for Joaquim de Almeida, and "Best Director" for Joaquim Leitão), this drama recounts the tragic story of a Catholic priest who finds himself unable to resist the temptation offered by a troubled woman trying to start a new life. Set in Vila Daires, a small northern Portugal town, it begins with Lena's release from jail. A hardcore drug addict, Lena (Cristina Camara) immediately takes up where she left off. Wanting to help Lena, Father Antonio (Almeida) offers to give her swimming lessons. Though all is done innocently and with the best intentions, the two quickly become close friends, something the townsfolk find shocking. Still, the friendship persists, and just when it looks like Father Antonio is having a positive effect on Lena, a tragedy befalls her family, sending Lena into a self-destructive tailspin that causes the compassionate Father Antonio to cross the line between them and leading both characters to tragedy. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joaquim de Almeida, Cristina Camara, (more)
- 1995
The effects of the Spanish Civil War on Portugal are examined in this Portuguese-Spanish historical drama. The story is in 1936 during the summer and centers on a group of young adults who have gone to the seaside for a vacation. Among the revelers are Mercedes, her brother Ramos, and his friend Jorge, who develops a crush on the woman. Their fun is interrupted when news of the newly erupted conflict reaches them. Each of the vacationers have their own take on the war and heated arguments ensue. An impassioned Ramos decides to journey to Spain and fight against the fascists. Meanwhile, Portugal's conservative dictator, Salazar, becomes increasingly oppressive. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1995
This Portuguese language comedy is about a very contemporary love triangle. Caterina (Maria de Medeiros) is a beautiful, opportunistic and charming woman, a TV journalist. She pretends to be smitten by a handsome political do-gooder in order to gain an exclusive interview with him. She also uses him to father her baby. However, she is definitely not in love with him. Her true love is her lesbian girlfriend Te (Ana Bustorff). Caterina's pregnancy makes Te feel extremely insecure about their relationship. Caterina has been forced to co-host a program with career rival Francisco (Joaquim de Almeida), which neither she nor Francisco wanted. As their rivalry develops into friendship, Francisco begins to try to woo Caterina and he is not summarily rebuffed by her. This friendship only adds to Te's concerns as the movie goes on to its humorous (but very contemporary) happy ending. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1985
A hotel desk clerk (Pedro Ayres Magalhaes) turns into a peeping tom to spy on his beautiful neighbor who he suspects is a prostitute. Only when she shows up at his hotel with a john does he finally discover she is a call girl. After the couple checks in, the clerk becomes haplessly involved in a drug deal gone bad that results in several murders. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pedro Ayres Magalhaes, Filipe Ferrer, (more)
- 1985
This plodding whodunit features Pedro Oliveira as Alvaro, a newspaper reporter who comes across a man and woman arguing on the beach, and after obligingly driving the woman around when she seeks him out, he takes her back to discover the man has been murdered. The woman, Ana (Ana Zanatti) takes off, but Alvaro -- after many twists and turns -- runs into her on a train. After Alvaro and Ana start a relationship of sorts, he tries to handle some personal difficulties. But as Ana comes in and out of his agenda, Alvaro had better pay closer attention to how he got to know her in the first place. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ana Zanatti, Pedro Oliveira, (more)
