Boca

A young female reporter from the U.S. travels to Rio during Carnival to investigate the murder of children by death squads. She quickly gets involved in more than just reporting the story. Her curiosity carries her to the brink of disaster.

I found this film riveting. The carnival setting, the mystery, the sheer horror of the story kept my attention. And I could hardly believe Boca was an actor, he seemed so real. It may or may not be the truth, but it felt like the truth. Made me feel very uncomfortable.

oh dear. waves of kids being murdered in favellas in rio de janeiro. an interesting, if disturbing topic. who is responsible? enter rae dawn chong, beautiful but somewhat limited actress (see Commando) and one of the Kemp brothers (of the hallowed thespian soap opera school of acting) Add revered (reviled?) soft porn director Zalman King and the result is an excuse of a film that doesn't really work on any level. The directing credit is actually shared between King and one Walter Avancini, and the difference in opinion they must have had is obvious as the film changes direction frequently, unsure of it's path. the flashbacks are repetitive and irritating, the voodoo sub-plot ridiculous, the characters either too sleazy for words or just plain awful.If you want to see Chong naked this will(maybe)satisfy you, but at what price? There probably IS a good movie to be made on this subject matter, but Boca isn't it.

I just bought this video off of e-bay for four bucks, as I am a collector and it looked interesting. It turned out to be all that, and more. It was fascinating, intriguing, and disturbing, all done with a very simple storyline. Great acting from Rae Dawn Chong and all the supporting people. Absolutely wonderful cinematography. I don't know how to recommend this one. It is definitely not a "date" movie, nor is it your garden variety "Friday Night Popcorn" film. However, it is well worth the time.

Why is this film not available? It is a stunning depiction ripped right out of the contemporary news headlines of the time. This film showcases the talent and beauty of Rae Dawn Chong, clearly one of the more underrated actresses in film. Powerful, gritty, erotic, troubling, insightful. We are used to the glamorous view of Brazil however in Boca one is faced with the dark side, hidden from most tourists. There are tremendously moving and powerful performances in this film and the lead as Boca is simply amazing. At times I felt that this man had lived through the nightmare world so stunningly portrayed, and yet of course he is an actor. That is the mark of a grand performance and there are more than a few in this film. Actors and actresses unknown to me prior to this movie move in and out dazzling as they do. Zalman King made a gem and it is almost unknown, that is a pity.