Redentor

"Redentor" perfectly displays the ever-growing strength of current Brazilian Cinema, and its remarkable versatility and reach. Pedro Cardoso stars as Célio Rocha, an ordinary middle-class man troubled by his lack of financial security. He lives in a decaying apartment with his two elderly parents, and dreams of getting away.

The chance seems to arise when he is reunited with an old childhood friend, which leads to fantastical and often desperate situations in his life.

"Rendentor" works admirably in displaying the desperation of the middle-classes in Brazil in face of the gargantuan social difference, which seems to grow like a monster with each passing second. Célio Rocha embodies the impending extinction of the middle-classes in Rio, and their desperation around the barbarian lower classes and the cruel and arrogant upper classes.

"Redentor" captures the ignorant faith present in every Brazilian, requirement for enduring life in this country. It works as dark and cynical Opera of the Social Chaos of every-day Brazil,.

7/10

The journalist Célio Rocha (Pedro Cardoso) has been living a serious problem in the breast of his family for years: his father used all his savings to buy an apartment from the father of his childhood friend Otávio Sabóia (Miguel Falabella), indeed a corrupt constructor who never delivered the building to the owners. When the father of Otávio commits suicide, Célio is assigned for an interview with Otávio, and is invited by Otávio to participate in a scheme in Cayman Islands, where he would receive five millions dollars. However, Célio has a breakdown when his father dies, and believed God assigned him to make Otávio give away all the money he has on behalf of the homeless.

"Redentor is a surrealistic tale of greed and corruption in the chaotic Brazilian society. It seems to be inspired in the real case of the scum Brazilian constructor Sérgio Naya, and anyway is based in many elements of our very unfair society where justice rarely works in situations like showed in the movie. The story is amazingly good, with the exception of the conclusion, which gives a religious connotation to the plot, being corny for my taste. The performances of Pedro Cardoso and Miguel Falabella are spectacular as usual, and the whole cast has also great acting. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Redentor" ("Redeemer")

"Redentor" is not a portrayal of innocent middle class and its struggle for a better life as it is claimed in the above review. I am afraid that something may have been lost in translation. Instead, wrapped up in a witless comedy about a man who tries to do something good under the ordination of god, the movie casts a justifiably cynical light on the bleeding heart poverty cases of Rio de Janeiros favelas. In Rio we are always been told what to think about the poor people who have less and how they are just good people like the rest of the world but just in a bad situation. The realities are that whether through poverty or cultural distancing from society(schools, arts, philosophy, etc.) the reactions and instincts of people from the favelas are brute. They are unreserved and disrespectful to the rest of the world. They do not actively participate in society by any means. and this movie shows that. It clearly displays a man trying to give to society, and being fought every step of the way by the same people who he is fighting for. First he finds that the building in which his parents pre-paid an apartment has been taken over by a large favela group. His family which spent every dime they had to secure a place to live, now live in a single apartment with more than 8 or so people. When he goes in to the building in hopes of acquiring a statement he finds that these people not knowing the apartment is his tell him that no one came for them so now the building is theirs. Over-all the movie is troubling on many fronts but I believe it to be a waste of time for anyone up to par with politics or a worldly sense. It hides key issues by covering them with unimpressive rhetoric. This is actually interesting because it starts off in the first few minutes with amazing potential. Had it followed a different path it could really have been a movie. Better luck if there is a next time for the director but choose some actors which are Screen oriented as opposed to stage.(exception for Pedro Cardoso who is as always top notch)

A prime example of the far reaching scope of semi-public broadcaster SBS in Australia.

They have a film in a different language nearly every night and it was hard not to be drawn into this film as the moral lessons appear to be driven home by the writer, producer and director.

As stated by previous reviewers this enormous country suffers from extremes of wealth and poverty and the themes are treated very powerfully in this film.

It transcends a plot as the viewer becomes so absorbed by the characters that the outcome is almost secondary.

The closing titles which feature the dynamic sound of Gigi D'Agostino also claim the attention of the watcher as they illustrate what a mammoth production this film was.