Ângela

"Angela" is regarded by Brazilian film critics one of the gems the now legendary Brazilian studio Vera Cruz produced in the 1950's.

The film was an attempt to create a luscious, enchanting and visually stunning romance story about the classic love themes of loss and redemption.

While this style of Cinema, free from the social issues that usually permeate South American films, was deemed unworthy by many, today most critics rightfully agree that it represented a now-lost period in the country's history; of great innocence and hope, times when things were simpler and lives safer.

Despite having an ordinary story, the film's visuals continue to impress, specially the nearly-perfect cinematography, well above average even by today's standards.

Ultimately, "Angela" is a very entertaining film, with captivating performances and beautiful scenery. A naive classic of a Brazil that may or may not have existed only in dreams.

Technically Ângela was the second Vera Cruz's picture in 1951 where Tom Payne shared the direction with Abilio Pereira de Almeida whom also composes the casting, Eliane Lage took by his husband-director to became an instant Brazilian star due her undeniable beauty and talent as well, this drama points out the harm effects of gambling at society as a whole, fully exploited by a wise screenplay conceived for its period of time.

Essentially the picture comprises the gambling curse in an aristocratic Brazilian family where the Col. Gervásio (Abilio) lost in poker game her wife's house to a young customary gambler Dinarte (Albert Ruschel) a kind of lucky man, upon visiting his new state he is enchanted by Gervasio's stepdaughter Ângela (Eliane Lage) and aware of the chagrin imposed by all family especially in Ângela, then the remorseful Dinarte allowed them stay there for a while.

After a short courtship Dinarte and Ângela get marry promising drop the gambling for good, however as expected it doesn't take too long, often Dinarte has looking around this nightly gambling spots and soon he is starting back again, although this turn his usual luck changes, hereinafter became a jinx gambler since his child was born, thus it triggers an everlasting heavy lost including house, farm and Ângela mother's jewels.

Furthermore the movie exposes others kinds of games as such horse racing and cockfighting, always in high stakes, aside it many colorful characters coming over, as the gold digger singer Inezita Barroso's debut, the loser Abilio Pereira de Almeida, a wiser Portuguese bookmaker and the stringent matron Nair Lopes on fabulous performance.

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Resume:

First watch: 1993 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-Youtube / Rating: 7.5.