O Diabo a Quatro

In Copabacana, the pothead surfer Paulo Roberto (Marcelo Faria) is the son of a politician with a dysfunctional family that spends the day surfing and smoking grass. The family maid has a son, the smalltime drug dealer China (Jonathan Haagensen), who spends most of the time in the beach with Paulo. In the building across the street lives the sexy Amazon-born babysitter Rita de Cássia (Maria Flor) that has a crush on Paulo. On the streets, the boy Waldick (Netinho Alves) has just arrived from the country of Minas Gerais and idolizes the successful TV entertainer Fúlvio Fontes (Evandro Mesquita), who worked as a street vendor when was a boy. When Rita meets Paulo and tells him that she is virgin, Paulo leaves her telling that he likes whores. Rita visits the pimp Tim Mais (Márcio Libar) and asks him to work as a prostitute using the nickname of Mystery to draw the attention of Paulo Roberto. Mystery becomes a hit among the clients of Tim. Their lives entwines when Paulo steals a can of marijuana that China had found in the sea, while Paulo Roberto, Tim Mais and Waldick fall in love for Mystery.

"O Diabo a Quatro" glimpses the chaotic life in the contemporary Copacabana through the lives of dwellers with different origins and backgrounds, from the underground and the corruption in the police. In this regard, it is remarkable how the screenplay is able to follow the daily lives not only of the lead characters, but also of many support characters, being very generous with the actors and actresses in 108 minutes running time. However, the genre is quite pointless, shifting from comedy to drama maybe trying to please and catch a greater number of viewers. The soundtrack is excellent, with suitable Brazilian songs. Maria Flor has an astonishing body, but she is not convincing as a person that was born in Amazon. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "O Diabo a Quatro" ("The Devil at Four")

Although of course not perfect on the 'Hollywood' scale, since it is not as smooth or perfect according to some professionals, this movie shows a lot of the life of people living in Rio - the rich, the poor, the old and the young. Of course there is some exaggeration of characters and situations, but on one hand that stresses the reality and at other times it will have a funny effect. There are humorous, thrilling, warm and also terrible moments in this film that is not boring for a moment - you will be enjoying the crazy things that happen in Brazil, and all that is especially true if you love (or hate) Rio and that beautiful Portuguese language.

Excellent as a simple and captivating story. In an unpretentious way, it brings a faithful representation of the Rio de Janeiro urban reality and its ailments.

O Diabo a Quatro is a vibrant and unconventional Brazilian comedy that intertwines the lives of four eccentric characters within the bustling streets of Copacabana. Directed by Alice de Andrade, the film delves into themes of love, ambition, and the facades people maintain in a city teeming with contradictions.

The narrative follows two men and a boy, each enamored with the enigmatic Rita de Cássia, portrayed with captivating allure by Maria Flor. Their pursuits unfold amidst a backdrop of colorful personalities, including a flamboyant senator, a philosophical street performer, and a host of other vivid figures that populate this urban tapestry.

Visually, the film embraces a stylized aesthetic, blending elements of fantasy and reality to mirror the characters' inner turmoils and aspirations. The cinematography captures the essence of Rio de Janeiro's lesser-seen corners, offering a fresh perspective on the city's multifaceted identity.

The ensemble cast delivers dynamic performances, balancing humor and pathos to bring depth to their roles. The screenplay's sharp wit and satirical edge provide a commentary on societal norms and the pursuit of happiness in a world where appearances often deceive.

O Diabo a Quatro stands out for its bold storytelling and imaginative approach, offering viewers a thought-provoking and entertaining experience that challenges conventional narratives.

Copacabana: the notorious neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro bathed by the world-famous beach, location of countless Brazilian and international films (especially sex comedies), the most densely populated 5 square km in Latin America. That's where "O Diabo a Quatro" takes place, as it follows 4 main characters from different backgrounds whose lives will criss-cross there: Rita de Cássia (Maria Flor), Amazon-born babysitter who has a grudge on Paulo Roberto (Marcelo Faria), a Spicoli-like stoned surfer and politician's son who lives across her street and doesn't even notice her. Pimp Tim Mais (Márcio Libar) becomes Rita's "agent" when she decides to become a prostitute to win the attention of Paulo Roberto. 10-year-old boy Waldick (Netinho Alves), who arrives alone in Copacabana from the hinterland of Minas Gerais, dreams of becoming a TV entertainer.

Alice de Andrade (daughter of Joaquim Pedro de Andrade, director of Brazilian masterpieces like "O Padre e a Moça" and "Macunaíma") directs her début feature as a tribute to Copacabana and to the tradition of the carioca comedy, especially of the 1970s sex comedies or pornochanchadas (Pedro Carlos Rovai's 1974 "Ainda Agarro Esta Vizinha..." is definitely an influence). Though it's debatable WHY anyone would WANT to pay tribute to the pornochanchada, many of its trademarks are present in "O Diabo...": the "carnivalization" of life, the double-entendre jokes, the explosive colors, the flamboyant costumes, the episodic structure, the social and sexual stereotypes, the constant sexual overtones.

"O Diabo..." suffers from the "first film" syndrome: it's overcrowded with too many characters (there are at least 7 or 8 secondary important characters with their own back stories), situations and story-lines, and the fact that there are SEVEN (!!!) writers surely adds to the messy results. Like in most pornochanchadas, EVERY character in "Diabo...", good or bad, has a heart of gold. As a result, there's no conflict at all, and we're not really rooting for anybody in particular. To wrap things up, the script solutions are inevitably far-fetched and contrived, and even though the movie never intends to be "realistic", it doesn't work on the comic urban fairy tale level either. With so many elements to juggle, it's no wonder the story lines become chopped and confusing. At the end of the day, "O Diabo..." is as good as its (few) good assets, such as veteran Pedro Farkas' fluid camera-work of the beautiful Copacabana shoreline and the fine soundtrack that includes singer/composer Lenine and the powerful percussive music by the band Pedro Luís & A Parede.

The best in the large cast are Márcio Libar's soft-hearted pimp and Zezeh Barbosa's stereotyped but nevertheless hilarious housemaid. Maria Flor (19 years old at the time of shooting) is uninhibited, lovely as can be and very sexy but we can never believe she's from the Amazon, not with that typically carioca accent and demeanor! Marcelo Faria (probably cast for being the son of Reginaldo Faria, star of icon 1960s/1970s carioca comedies) never manages to make his airhead surfer funny, sexy or charming: he's just a retarded bore. Kid Netinho Alves has accent problems (on/off) and goes from cute to maudlinly cute. Jonathan Haagensen (who played Cabeleira in "City of God") acts with his swollen pout and his perennially bare nipples (though they're fine nipples), but at least he knows how to deliver the jargon of his small-time drug dealer China. Sérgio Machado's depressive, jealous transvestite is awful: who still needs the "bathetic gay" caricature that was dead and buried 3 decades ago? Evandro Mesquita out-hams Jerry Lewis (with false teeth and all) in his over-the-top TV entertainer. Ana Beatriz Nogueira is totally wasted in the unbelievable character of the Waldick's wacky mother. Marília Gabriela and Ney Latorraca have ridiculously tiny parts as Paulo Roberto's parents.

"O Diabo a Quatro" is technically fine and never cheap, but it's also pointless, confusing, occasionally schmaltzy (those street kids!!) and rarely funny. The denouement is particularly unsatisfying, but by then we're not expecting very much. See it when you're feeling light-hearted and not too picky; at least it LOOKS better than a vintage pornochanchada.