O Palhaço

This is a dramatic masterpiece with beautiful photography, innocent and slight humor, huge symbolism in between the details and a great plot.

The ambiance: Brazil's rural areas in the late '80s(?) show a decadence which is perfect for the simplicity which is willing to be transmitted. A search for the essential, for the true vocation, down to the most innocent and oniric will of a human being.

Please, don't be shallow to call it "boring", it's not. It's not boring to value the most simple, slight and innocent feelings in instead of big mourning drama or breathtaking hilariousness. You just have to let out your concerns and allow yourself to be involved by the plot like a child. And then, you'll be surprised by having a huge contemplative smile while a small teardrop falls at the corner of your eyes.

It's a short movie, but it's wonderful. There's nothing new in it, but it makes us to remember how simple life used to be. We can see in this movie the purity of Carlitos in the main character, and how circus was important in people lives before television. It brings back some old actors who haven't seen for long as Ferrugem, Jose Loureiro, Paulo José and Moacir Franco. It's a movie that you can see with all family, there are no obscenities. It's a comedy, but you almost cry in some parts with the beauty of the plot. I must say this is the best Brazilian movie of the year and Selton Melo is becoming not only a good actor, but also a good director.

Sorry Selton, but obviously you're no Charlie Chaplin, neither as an actor nor as a director. You need to learn the difference between "naive" and "simplistic". It was a fatal mistake to decide to utilize the creative cop-out of a narrator, who rather than commenting, only describes, and here sounds as if he's reading from subtitles for the visually impaired: he says "the people wait", and we see people waiting; he says "the little girl smiles", and we see the little girl smiling This becomes very tiresome very quickly. The pandering to each local mayor is amusing, the photography is well-done, and the music track appropriate. But all in all, it's very easy to understand why this movie didn't make the Academy's short list.

In his second work as director, Selton Mello was able to abstract from simplicity and ingenuous humor an exceptional and complete piece. A very short film, without clichés or redundancies, that touches us as well as makes us laugh at simple scenes. Remarks on the Brazilian dramaturgy pearls recovered in unique scenes. We got to understand the clown's agony without getting blue, and we follow his search for a reason. Exceptionally, the first hour with all its monotony flies and we do not realize. As the last half hour conclusion (with a "golden key", as one would say) widens so we can enjoy every second. Simplicity, ingenuity, genius that make reach the completeness of the show.

I've saw the movie "O Palhaço" and my expectation about the movie was positive, because they really show the beginning of the circus, and was just like this. If you compare with a modern circle, you won't like the movie, because they are in another reality.

Between the old circus and the circus of nowadays the clown will always be the celebrity.

About director, actors, everyone did a great job, same as the soundtrack who gives to the movie the truth perspective, by the way the soundtrack is amazing.

So, I recommend this movie.