Mandrake

I haven't enjoyed a show as much as this one for a very long time. It is beautifully shot, and many of the actors are beautiful too. It's fun to see Rio de Janeiro and be exposed to things I never would be otherwise. The main reason I'm posting is to say what should be obvious...it is dubbed in Spanish. I wish it was still in Portuguese, but the dubbing is actually pretty good. Your only chance to watch it without subtitles is on Sundays at 8, dubbed in Spanish. I hope HBO keeps giving us new episodes I love it...The shows keep getting better. The pilot I liked, but I thought it could have been so much more. Now on the 4th or 5th episode, it's awesome. It doesn't devote itself entirely to drama, suspense, action, or humor. Its a unique blend. The lens of the filmmakers is distinctively different from anything I've seen and it takes awhile to become comfortable with a disparate approach to television and leave Hollywood expectations behind. I don't understand 100% of it, but it doesn't matter to me because the show is so beautifully made. It's the only opportunity I've encountered to watch dramatic television from latinoamerica that is not a telenovela.

Rubem Fonseca is a genius of Brazilian literature. Author of books like "Agosto", he understands the soul of the carioca man. Mandrake is an underground lawyer expert in cases of blackmailing and extortion who acts mostly as a negotiator. But Marcos Palmeira's acting is weak, his speech is artificial and so is his facial expression. Mieli is fine as Wexler, the old Jewish lawyer, Mandrake's partner. Maria Luísa Mendonça is a great actress and plays her role very well. The episodes themselves are interesting and show a poorly known part of life in Rio de Janeiro. The underworld of prostitutes, transvestites, sex clubs and the upper world of luxury mansions and socialites merge into a plot of intrigue and lots of money.

3 out of 5