Chico Xavier

Chico Xavier is the latest flick following the Brazilian trend of biographical movies. Directed by the artistically inept soap-opera director Daniel Filho, Chico Xavier appears to be a film made exclusively to make big bucks out of an audience of religious viewers. And at this, it has been extremely successful. Instead of adopting a balanced approach to present the life of controversial spiritual figure Chico Xavier, the script and direction faithfully follow a biographical book that portrays the main character as a sort of martyr saint of spiritism. From the opening scene in a talk show in the 1970's it is quite clear that the spiritual powers and infinite benigness of Chico Xavier will overcome any difficulties and conquer even the most skeptic minds. The director resorts to a number of cheap devices to make the audience emotional and oblivious to the story's many flaws and inconsistencies. All the possible objections to the spiritual phenomena attributed to the so-called medium are quickly dismissed with some extraordinary event or an incredible display of generosity by Chico or his friends from the other side. That is exactly why the movie fails to elicit real drama and tension in anyone who appreciates a well-told human story. We can't really connect to someone who stoically endures great suffering and incomprehension without ever having a single burst of anger or revolt. Some scenes are almost comical in its zealousness to promote the sainthood of Chico, like the one in which his father takes him, as a young man, to a brothel. The cast includes many well-known Brazilian soap-opera actors who do not really make much of a difference to the overall sleepy mood of the entire work. Regardless of religious beliefs, it is impossible not to recognize the immense influence Chico Xavier has had on the Brazilian people. That is exactly why his story deserved better than this half-cooked piece of commercial cinema.

This movie is not just amazing because it get our attention since the first beginning... It is also amazing because it makes us think about what really matters in life.. It gives us a different perspective about different kinds of subjects and mainly because everything in the movie is real... comes after real events... Chico Xavier was not only a leader for a specific group of religious people, it is an example for all of us. I got my French friend to watch it and he is not spirist. He loved the movie, because it is not a movie for Brazilians, it is a movie for people who think deeper about life. Chico is the greatest recent example about how Christians should act. A man whose name can be love.

It's a quite hard work to portrait the essence of Chico Xavier's life. Although he lived 92 years and psycho-graphed more than 400 books, Chico Xavier's life was, above all superlatives, an example of charity, love to his fellowman, resignation, patience and true Christian humbleness. Not even his written works are more important than his example as a good man.

The movie, based on Marcel Souto Maior's best-seller As Vidas de Chico Xavier (The Lives of Chico Xavier), portraits his life from the age of 9 (performed by the incredible boy-actor Matheus Costa) until his adulthood. Ângelo Antonio performs Chico Xavier as young man and Nelson Xavier (no parenthood, by the way) performs the character as a mature/old man. It's quite poignant to see how Chico Xavier was misunderstood during his childhood and and throughout his life. As a boy he was called "the haunted kid", lunatic and lier. Such "fame" would result in terrible beatings by his father and godmother (who took care of him after the death of his beloved mother). As a young man he was persecuted and accused of mystification, despite having given his entire life to ease the pain of many families who lost their loved ones.

Daniel Filho's direction is discreet. He opted to tell the story without special effects (had all reasons to use them) or great cinematographic tricks. His direction is secure, almost linear, but resulted in a great effect, since it never conflicts or steals the spotlights from the most important figure of the movie, Chico Xavier itself. Egbert Gismonti's musical score is superb, fusing traditional religious songs with sounds of nature, involving the scenes with a magical and emotional atmosphere at the same time. Marcos Bernstein's screenplay is correct but fails a bit when leaves many important facts out of the final script. Nonato Estrela's cinematography is good, although a little dark in many sequences of the movie.

Concerning the cast, the movie has the amazing performance of Nelson Xavier, which resemblance to the character itself is creepy. He gives the character a suave/humorous flavor, without exaggerating in any time. Ângelo Antonio shows an insecure and naive Chico Xavier in his younger days and Matheus Costa plays the role with all its suffering and feeling of incomprehension. Ana Rosa as Carmen shows how to make bigger a bit participation. Tony Ramos and Cristine Torloni are pure emotion, André Dias as Emmanuel (Chico Xavier's spiritual guide) plays his role with great dignity and Pedro Paulo Rangel as Father Scarzelo gives a show-stopping performance making his character to explode on the silver screen.

For all those above reasons I do recommend the movie. For those who, like me, met him in person and for those who still do not know him, this movie is a great opportunity to get to know who was Chico Xavier, a man called love!

Certanly the most perfect man already had lived here in Brazil, a high patent of morality and humanity ever had, your life is meaning in three words suffering forgiveness and love, your life spoke for himself, a phenomenon that the science can't explains, moved millions people to met him at Uberaba city where he had a humble house who he gave information through high spirit called Emmanuel from the other side of life bringing relief for those people who asking him news beyond the grave, he is my source of inspiration to be a better person, a man called love a true Jesus Christ's apostle!!!

Resume:

First watch: 2013 / How many: 3 / Source: TV-DVD-Blu-ray / Rating: 9

This film, expose the life of a really important person inside Brazil culture and knowledge.

Without him our planet probably would still even darker.

Chico made a lot of people to look to this subtle, but essencial part of life. And much of what he showed to people is until today not very well understood and experienced by us.

Here it is one more film to the must watch before die series.