Lisbela e o Prisioneiro

Amazing!

Do not waste your time with this amazingly empty, boring movie.

Comparable to the worst mass-produced Hollywood crap I've seen.

Having seen other movies by Guel Arraes, I thought this felt a little too long. He has not used the great Selton Mello to his full potential, and therefore the movie suffers a little. It was a very funny movie, don't get me wrong, but it could be shorter, more to the point. The scenes from the old movies, IMO, instead of helping the storytelling ended up boring the audience. It is definitely worth watching, if for nothing else then for Selton Mello's acting.

In the country of Northeast of Brazil, Leléu (Selton Mello) is a nomad rascal, traveling through different small towns, cheating people and having one night stand with the local women. While escaping from Inaura (Virgínia Cabendish), who has felt in love with him after a brief affair, and her cuckold husband, the hit man Frederico Evandro (Marcos Nanini), who wants to kill him, Leléu arrives in a small town. There, he meets Lisbela (Débora Falabella), the daughter of Tenente Guedes (André Mattos) and a romantic film lover, who is engaged of Douglas (Bruno Garcia) and is going to get married with him, and, like in a movie with happy end, they fall in love for each other.

"Lisbela e o Prisioneiro" is a delightful romantic comedy, supported by funny characters, situations, expressions and sayings very typical in the country of Brazil. I am not sure whether foreigners would appreciate or understand the richness of our national culture in this movie, but the story certainly reaches persons of different social classes in my country. The cast and direction are excellent and the music score is outstanding, highlight the song "Você não me Ensinou a te Esquecer" ("You Have not Taught me How to Forget You"), of Caetano Veloso. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Lisbela e o Prisioneiro" ("Lisbela and the Prisoner")

Affective catharsis in every scene

The emotion, feeling, and affection that this film conveys is simply a masterpiece. Marco Nanini is simply phenomenal, in particular, but all the actors are fantastic. The script is incredible, gripping from beginning to end, and the metalanguage is delightful, in a comedy that leaves us enchanted with Brazilian cinema. Seeking our Brazilianness in Alagoas in contrast to Rio de Janeiro is also a powerful aesthetic of the film that turns the story into a myth that transcends our history and involves us once again in a temporal plot. Lisbela and the Prisoner is a recommended film in all its aspects, but mainly, it takes us to a catharsis of our bland and forgotten existence, remembered in each frame that affects us.

The Brazilian film industry is growing fast, bringing to the audience outstanding stories and visuals. Lisbela e o Prisioneiro is an example of this growth. It is a hilarious "northeastern" comedy, with great performances from Selton Mello and Debora Falabella. The script also helped the actors in their performances, which is full of very funny lines. The director Guel Arraes did a superb job directing the cast and choosing his camera angles. The editing was also fast, adding a good pace to the whole movie. Another great choice was the soundtrack. It fits the story and the characters like a glove. It is definitively a must-see comedy.