Lula, o Filho do Brasil

I was quite disoriented reading the four reviews on this film. Only four reviews. Very sad, but I'm afraid that only Hollywood movies get hundreds of reviews, no matter how bad they are.

And I say that I was quite disoriented because the only four reviews are from Brazil, and quite severe they are.

Could it be true that nobody is a prophet in his own country? it has to be, because I found this movie to be EXCELLENT!!

The transition between the boy and the adult Lula is quite impressive, both actors could very well be the same person when the years go by and the boy becomes an adult.

Gloria Pires is such a magnificent actress!! and quite contained.

The actor that plays Lula's father is really amazing, not knowing him from previous works, one believes that he's really Lula's father, fantastic interpretation!!

Everybody is excellent and so is the camera work, the editing, the color photography, etc.

As far as I remember I've never been disappointed by a Brazilian movie. I think that Brazilian films are among the best in the world. And the Portuguese language as spoken by Brazilians must be among the most delicious languages to be heard, not to mention their music, absolutely ravishing!!

(Do I sound like a fan of Brazil?).

The story is about the life of Brazilian President (2003-2010) Luis Inácio Lula da Silva. But the movie doesn't concern politics, since it ends before he becomes a politician. It is a humanistic story, very sad, based on a true story present on the book with the same name of the movie. It is always very touching to see that someone who suffered that much could end being a president.

However, there are some corny scenes, very unlikely true. Moreover, Lula's father is shown very very mean, and Lula has told he was bad, but not that much.

The acting of Gloria Pires I found very nice, but the child actors are not well prepared. And the main actor, Rui Ricardo Dias is never shown with his left hand open, which kind of annoys me. I think they should have used some special effects to hide his little finger (which was severed), since it is a production of 9 million dollars, the most expensive ever made in Brazil.

When Lula is already a syndicalist, there are some real scenes that were taken from the excellent documentary "Linha de montagem", of Renato Tapajós. But the cinematography is different between these scenes and the filmed now, so it seems a little strange, but it is comprehensible.

The one fact that really annoyed me is the credits mixed with the story in the beginning. This irritated everybody in the theater and is very unpleasant.

But what matters most in a movie is the story, so how the story is outstanding, the movie is 8 out of 10. The movie "2 Filhos de Francisco" from Breno Silveira is very similar to this, but in my opinion, better directed. And those who likes Lula's biography should also watch the documentary "Entreatos", from João Moreira Salles.

I just saw "Lula, Son of Brazil" at the Palm Springs Festival. As others noted, the acting (Glória Pires and Milhem Cortaz ) is very good and first timer Ruis Ricardo Diaz does a good job portraying the future president. The cinematography is also up to the usual high standards of Brazilian films. The portrayal of the Northeast, origin of much of the marginalized population in the industrial southern cities is genuine and sympathetic, as it was in previous films ( "CentralStation", and "Behind the Sun" )

The fictionalized and tear-jerky story line, however, comes across as the secular sanctification of Lula. One should not forget that the film's makers and some of the actors are intimately connected with the ex-president. Lula's remarkable popularity and executive success should not be cause to whitewash his entire past and portray him as the proletarian saint he appears to be in this movie. The director ( Fábio Barreto ) admitted that national screenings only netted an audience of 1 Million. In a nation of over 200 Million, that stands in contrast to the reported 85% approval rating of the politician at the end of his term. Ms. Barreto, full of class angst, blames this on the "Class A" population, supposedly the only ones interested enough or rich enough to afford the $5 ticket price. This implies a simplified vision of Brazilian society between the haves (Class A) and have-nots (Class C); exactly the sort claptrap ideological rhetoric that prevented Lula from achieving success in previous attempts. Yes, there is a wealthy elite and yes, Brazil does have lingering problems with class divisions, but there is at least a middle "Class B" (growing, in large part, due to the impact of recent Brazilian economic successes). There are worthwhile role models among the class of small entrepreneurs, possibly even in the "Brahmin" ranks of "Class A". The simple truth is, people in Brazil may largely approve of the ex-president, but they are not excited enough about him and his worker's party to invest the time and fork over the money to come and adore him. They'd rather wait until it's out on DVD and available for a buck on the notorious black market.

Go and see this film. It has its merits and foreign audiences, in particular, will learn something about Brazil and Lula, but leave your handkerchief in your pocket.

This movie is profoundly based on the true story of Brazil's President Luís Inácio Lula da Silva (2003-2010), beginning at his birth, in the poor countryside of the Northeastern semi-arid Pernambuco State.

It is not openly political, once the story ends before his political acting years in the early eighties, but it has produced some controversy in Brazil, once this is election year. Of course, he can't run for President on a third term, though.

Apart from that, there is a feeling through the movie that it was meant to show some of the most important moments in his life, so there are some scenes that are short on completion. Viewers may expect something more about the short stories told as facts, like something you'd tell on a conversation.

The screenwriters apply the conduct line on the main character's mother, played by Gloria Pires (great), as was done in the other heartwarming movie '2 Filhos de Francisco', but still there is some loss of bond.

All the actors give their best, specially the main actor. The photography is well composed. The soundtrack, highly appropriate, though a bit repetitive. The direction, it seems to me, could have been better.

Great moments bring the audience to tears, while learning about the past of suffering and poverty that built the charismatic and popular politician. As a Brazilian, I was touched when I found out that a little boy who cleaned people's leather shoes in the streets became my President. All he needed was to be stubborn.

In 1945, in Garanhuns, in the countryside of Pernambuco, Luiz Inácio da Silva is born, seventh children of Aristides (Milhem Cortaz) and Dona Lindu (Glória Pires). Aristides moves to Santos and Lindu raises the siblings alone until 1952 when the family moves to Santos to meet the patriarch. Along the years, the poor family struggles to survive with the children studying the elementary school and working as street vendors. Later Lindu leaves the alcoholic and abusive Aristides and moves with her children to São Paulo. Lula graduates as lathe operator and gets a formal job in the industry where he loses one finger in a press. He joins the union; is elected president of the Union of São Bernardo do Campo and Diadema; organizes strikes in the period of dictatorship in Brazil; and is arrested in jail for one month.

"Lula, o Filho do Brazil" presents highlights until 1980 of the life of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the most popular President of Brazil. I had great expectations with this film since I voted in Lula the five times he ran for president; however, this movie is a great deception. The admirable ascension of a poor boy from a dysfunctional family to the most important position in a country is something fantastic; unfortunately the screenplay is shallow and corny and the direction is weak. I have lived all those moments of repression and Lula was a leader without ideology, therefore tolerated by the military government. His party promoted Ethics in politics as one of the strongest supports to the election of Lula in 2003 and in the end it was a great disappointment to the electors. But the movie is limited to the humanistic side of Lula and politics is slightly approached in the end. This movie clearly explains the humanistic side of Lula that keeps a governmental program to support families below the poverty threshold despite the critics of part of the elites. "Entreatos" from João Moreira Salles and "Peões" from Eduardo Coutinho are documentaries that follow Lula in the Union and explain the reason of his success in his political career. Glória Pires is presently one of the best Brazilian actresses and together with Milhem Cortaz give the best performances of this movie. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Lula, o Filho do Brazil" ("Lula, the Son of the Brazil")