As you can imagine, I am really excited about MoMa's Premiere Brazil movie festival, and outlined a whole schedule for myself when they launched this year's site. But when Eli and I went for the first movie on my list, I was really, really disappointed.
Salve Geral (Time of Fear)
Since this movie was chosen as Brazil's pick for the Oscars last year (though it did not get a nomination), I figured it had to be good. Unfortunately, I was wrong.
The film has an interesting premise, since it's based on real events, when Sao Paulo was paralyzed by prison riots and extreme violence throughout the capital. But the approach was all wrong. The script follows a widow and her son and their spiral downward, culminating in the chaos of the rioting. Though the acting is pretty good (the villain, played by the fabulous Denise Weinberg, is one of my favorites), the script is tedious, far too long, and very cliched. With a plotline eerily similar to that of Weeds and an unsatisfying ending, it's just really difficult to enjoy. Despite, a seemingly big budget and plenty of talented actors, this movie fell flat.
To sum it up a single word - when we left the theater, Eli kept muttering under his breath, "Horroroso!"
Pelada
After coming home from Salve Geral, Eli wanted to watch something totally different to get the bad taste out of his mouth. A friend he plays soccer with had told him about this documentary months ago, but we hadn't been able to find it. Then he came across Pelada on iTunes, and we stayed up until 1 in the morning watching it. I fell in love with it instantly.
Proof that you don't need a big budget to make a great movie, this documentary follows two former soccer players in their mid-twenties. Somewhat lost after graduating from college and giving up on professional soccer careers, they decide to travel the world playing pick up games, and make their way through South America, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and parts of Asia.
The filmmakers won me over quickly by starting their world tour in Rio de Janeiro, but also when they reveal that they have both lived in Brazil and speak Portuguese (Luke more so than Gwendolyn, but still). The rest of the Latin American tour takes them to Uruguay, Argentina, Bolivia, and Peru, where they play with prison inmates, indigenous women high in the Andes, the inner city of Buenos Aires, and on the salt flats. At the beginning, they seem a bit naive, but they are charming and sweet, and it's hard not to like them.
The movie is not just about the universal love of soccer and how it unites people, but also about giving up on a dream and adjusting to life when you no longer do something every day. As a former dancer, I can really relate, and it really hit me hard watching them go through the same thing I did. It's also about being our age and still not really knowing what you want to do or what you should do, and about the sheer love of travel. Basically, it's my kind of movie.
Despite the many heartwarming scenes, there is a realistic limitation to the illusions of a magical game that unites everyone; the scene in Israel is especially funny and telling. Also, I wish they had spent more time focusing on the role of women, especially how they are viewed as athletes in the many countries they visit (this takes on an entirely different tone in Iran, which is completely heartbreaking). Really, I wish this could have been made into a TV series where they could have made an episode for each country and could have devoted more time to different people, in particular Ronaldinha in Brazil.
In short, this is an absolute must see for anyone who loves soccer, Latin America, or travel, or anyone in their mid-twenties still trying to figure out what to do with their life.
Download the movie on iTunes or look for an upcoming screening near you.
Hope you did get to see Waste Land, Lucy Walker's amazing documentary about the people who pick recyclables from the landfill at Jardim Gramacho and the art works that Vik Muniz made based on their lives.
Posted by: Dennis | July 24, 2010 at 08:08 PM
Oh did I!! Can't wait to write about it :)
Posted by: Rio Gringa | July 25, 2010 at 10:58 PM
Oh great! I was there Saturday and have been walking around meio verlkemmt since. What an amazing film! There's going to be a rooftop showing at the Mueso del barrio mid-August for those who missed it.
Posted by: Dennis | July 26, 2010 at 09:49 AM
Hahaha, meio verlkemmt, love it. I went with two friends, a girl and a guy, and all three of us wept through most of it.
Posted by: Rio Gringa | July 26, 2010 at 06:37 PM