Linha de Passe

Set in São Paulo, Brazil's largest city, this film follows the lives of one family. This family consists of single mother Cleuza, who works as a cleaner for a middle class family, and her four sons, by different fathers; Dario, who dreams of making it as a football star; Dênis, who works as a motorcycle courier; Dinho, a born again Christian who works and a local petrol station and helps at the church he attends; and Reginaldo, who travels around on the city's buses hoping to find his father. There is no plot as such; we just observe each of them as they live their daily lives and try to achieve their personal goals.

As I started watching this I knew nothing about the film so had no real idea of what to expect. Early on I was waiting for 'something to happen' but not much does till quite near the end and even then most of the questions raised aren't answered. That might frustrate some viewers but I gradually felt myself drawn into the characters' lives. Directors Walter Salles and Daniela Thomas do a fine job keeping everything very real... for example a motorbike pursuit through the city's busy streets feels more real, and thus more dangerous, than more extreme chases featuring obvious stunts and set-pieces. The cast are equally impressive so it feels as though we are watching their lives not watching people act. Overall I'd say this won't be for everybody but if you want a solid character lead film this is well worth checking out.

These comments are based on watching the film in Portuguese with English subtitles.

Absolutely outstanding film. A slice of sometimes gritty, sometimes funny, sometimes boring life in Sao Paolo seen through a lens. Much as I enjoyed City of God and other similar 'favela' style films, having been to Brazil I do get the impression that they sensationalise a certain lifestyle that just doesn't apply to your average city-dwelling Brazilian. Which is partly why I loved Linha de Passe - there was no gun-toting gangsters, just a single parent family struggling with the day to day Sao Paolo life. And lots of football. The main characters were magnificent - all of the sons and the mother were just so incredibly believable that you feel that they can't possibly be actors. The cinematography was beautiful - the football scenes didn't feel clichéd and the urban environments were used to stunning effect.

Linha de Passe isn't something you're going to enjoy if you need a film with a parcel-wrapped storyline dressed up with a pretty ribbon on top. It just offers you an often moving glimpse of what feels like very real life in one of the most populous cities on earth.

Walter Salles and his longtime partner Daniela Thomas come at their best with 'Linha de Passe'. After shooting Dark Water (which I haven't seen but only heard bad things about it) and the predictable Motorcycle Diaries, Salles focused on his best ability: showing the real Brazil to the world and - even more important - to Brazilians themselves. The acting is so accurate that sometimes the movie looks like a documentary about people who strive to have a decent life despite living in a poor suburb in São Paulo. Not only Sandra Corleoni - who won the Palme d'Or - is brilliant, but nearly everyone, even the characters who are not so much in evidence. I would say that this the movie captures the contradictions of the urban Brazil in such a profound way that it leaves you with little else to talk about the subject. Although each character kind of represents a particular stereotype of Brazilian people, there's so much subtlety in each of them (because of the screenplay and the acting) that the plot sounds completely natural, which doesn't happen with 'Crash', the awarded American movie that 'Linha de Passe' reminds me of. In my opinion, Salles' masterpiece is still 'Behind the Sun' (Abril Despedaçado), but if a foreigner asked me to explain what's to be Brazilian, i would suggest him to watch this movie.

This movie is a striking portrait of Brazilian lower class which focuses on a poor family's story. Avoiding an agitative langue, it presents sanctuaries and small gates of hope of poor people like religion or football.

This is a sorrowfull lesson for those who are only aware of funny dancers in Rio festivals and of famous football teams in Brazil.

Absolutely should be seen, especially by the ones loving "Mondays in the Sun" by Aronoa, "City of God" by Meirelles or "Amores Perros" by Inàrritu.

In the periphery of São Paulo, the pregnant single mother Cleuza (Sandra Corveloni) works as maid in the apartment of a middle-class family. Each of her sons has a different unknown father: the oldest, Dênis (João Baldasserini), has a baby son that lives with his mother and he works as motorcycle courier; Dinho (José Geraldo Rodrigues) is Christian converted and works as attendant in a gas station; Dario (Vinícius de Oliveira) is an aspirant soccer player that is getting older without the expected chance in a team; and the youngest, Reginaldo (Kaique Jesus Santos), is obsessed to find his black father that works as a bus driver, and spends most of his spare time traveling by bus. Along the months, each brother experiences new deceptions and expectations while the family fights to survive.

"Linha de Passe" is an overrated tale about the invisible people that live in the periphery of big cities. The characters are very realistic, but the screenplay and the edition have many cuts, and the development of the characters is very confused in the beginning. The movie also uses unnecessary footages of the Corinthians soccer team that has the second largest legion of fans in Brazil after Flamengo, maybe with the intention of increasing the box office in São Paulo. The acting is top-notch and Vinícius de Oliveira is indeed a good soccer player. The inconclusive open end is deceptive – the writers could have written a non-corny conclusion, for the good or for the bad of the characters. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Linha de Passe"