O Homem do Ano

What can I say about The Man of the Year other than SEE THIS NOW.

I'd like to start by saying that I don't really understand all the comparisons to City of God. I am a HUGE fan of City of God, and I even have Palace II on DVD which seems to be a rarity. I went into The Man of the Year with high hopes, and although they were met, I just don't see the resemblance to COG. I understand it's Brazilian and there are guns / gangs involved but that's about it in my eyes. I'm sure many will disagree with me, but I guess that's why there are multiple user comments.

The best way I can describe this film is El Mariachi meets Tarentino. It seems to be more of a play on El Mariachi in my opinion, however it still manages to be unique enough to make it a story of it's own. There are some comedic moments in which I found myself laughing, while at other moments I felt myself getting excited and filled with tension as I wondered what was going to happen next. When it was all said and done however, this movie was fantastic. I don't want to give much away and other users have basically outlined the plot, so I'll leave it at that. A great film, and a film I hope many people have a chance to see.

I got my copy from Film Movement, and I have to say this little company is really delivery some quality film. People should pay more attention to them.

In Baixada Fluminense, in the State of Rio de Janeiro and in the periphery of the City of Rio de Janeiro, Máiquel (Murilo Benício) is a loser, who believes that God wants to f*** him and that life cannot be controlled, like a flow of a river. He loses a soccer bet with his friends and has to dye his hair blond, using the services of the gorgeous hairdresser Cledir (Cláudia Abreu). In the night, when he goes to a small bar dating Cledir to show his friend the payment of the bet and his new beautiful girlfriend, the criminal Suel (Wagner Moura) laugh him. Máiquel becomes upset and challenge Suel to a duel. On the next day, Máiquel shoots and kills Suel, and becomes famous in the neighborhood as a vigilante. The fifteen years old mistress of Suel, Érica (Natália Lage) moves to his apartment and Máiquel becomes a sensation in the community where he lives. His fame of hero reaches the upper class dentist Dr. Carvalho (Jóge Dória), who hires Máiquel to kill the man who raped his seventeen years old daughter Gabriela (Mariana Ximenes). Meanwhile, Cledir gets pregnant and marries Máiquel. This is the beginning of his successful career of killer. In the end, Máiquel believes that the are two options for like: let it go, like a flow of a river, or use reins and ride it like a horse.

It seems that the success of 'Cidade de Deus' gave enough courage to other directors to expose to the world the underground life in the periphery and slums of the big Brazilian cities. 'O Homem do Ano' is based on a successful book of Patrícia Melo called 'O Matador' ('The Killer'). In the book, the story takes place in the periphery of São Paulo, but once the reality in the periphery of Rio de Janeiro is the same and due to geographical reasons, the story was transposed to the Baixada Fluminense, one of the most violent places in Brazil. Its narration in off by Máiquel recalls a film-noir. The story has most of the components of the popular and cheap Brazilian newspapers: the common murders and execution by vigilantes in the periphery of the Brazilian big cities and the religious fanaticism of the hopeless low classes. The middle and upper classes passively accepts this fearful way of life. Most of the characters in this movie represents a great segment of our society, where in some weekends can show more than seventy deaths of 'anonymous and common persons' only in Baixada Fluminense. The movie is never corny, there is no exaggeration in the situations and is based on the worst present problem of our society, the violence. Lack of education, corruption, impunity, lack of employment, very low salaries and life conditions, lack of perspective in life, lack of security, hypocrisy of the upper classes, all of these components in minor or greater proportions, result in the increasing violence showed in movies like 'O Homem do Ano', 'Cidade de Deus', 'Cidade dos Homens' and other sad examples of Brazilian society. Just as a curiosity, Cláudia Abreu has a daughter (Maria) with the director José Henrique Fonseca, who is son of the writer Rubem Fonseca. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): 'O Homem do Ano' ('The Man of the Year')

...and my x-girlfriend and that guy that bumped into me on the train.

he was a cool, young, good looking dangerous guy and climbing to the top of a Brazilian ghetto. it was amazing how all the people swarmed around him, wanting to be with him, wanting to be friends, partners and lovers with the killer. it seemed like he was doing a service to the community at first, killing all these bad people. but quickly turned into a gun for hire. the only sign that he had feelings was displayed upon his pet pig and look what happened to him. if a guy like this enters your life...things will go really good for you for a time, but you'll be guaranteeing yourself a premature death too. and god bless the beautiful woman of Brazil. i still can't figure out who is prettier, Claudia abreu or Natalia lage. this is the first film i got through Film Movement. it's so cool to get these indies delivered to my house. i liked this movie a lot. i got to see a part of Brazil i will never know in real life.

I'm not sure just where in the USA this Brazilian film has been released but I'm grateful that it came to my small city...

I saw "City of God" and was mesmerized by its raw power and its characters struggling with their sordid lives of hopelessness. But "The Man of the Year" I had to see twice. Everything about this film appealed to me. Murilo Benicio as Maiquel is nothing less than brilliant as a quiet middle class loser - vain, smug, angry, brooding, thoughtful, remorseful, duped, and with a special fondness for a baby pig that is handed him as a gift. Many twists and turns of fate cause his life to take on dimensions similar to a Greek tragedy. The two women in his life are equally well-cast, along with just about everyone in the entire film. Maiquel struggles with two jealous women, life-long friendships, and along with his new job as a hit-man, he has more than enough to keep him brooding, on edge, questioning his actions, his fate. I could sense his desperation in every scene. And always, you empathize with him.

What made this movie especially powerful for me was the way it was filmed. I read that it is the first movie of director Jose Enrique Fonseca - this man has a real future! The beginning panorama of Rio at night, Murilo's apartment and the pet shop, the wedding, a dose of religion, the final round of killings, the Rave - these and other scenes were filmed with such beauty and panache, propelling the plot with momentum, vigor, color, even tenderness as the Murilo's life changes bigtime. There are touches of humor - being in the dentist's chair, bathing a baby pig, ranting about the pitfalls of marriage. The musical score added immensely to the film, and the camera angles and overall cinematography were expert.

Here's to filmmakers from Brazil, Mexico, and other countries in Central and South America! I hope this film has a wide release, it deserves it.

After getting his hair dyed blond as a bet, Máiquel goes to his local bar where he is laughed at by Suel. Enraged by this insult (in front of a girl), he returns later and shoots Suel. He is afraid of capture by the police but he finds that not only is he considered a hero by the local community but also by the police – who are happy that he killed Suel as he was a criminal but too young to be sent to jail. With his reputation as a vigilante he is approached by his dentist, Dr Carvalho to do another killing – a rapist who attacked his 17-year-old daughter. Máiquel finds himself drawn further into the killings while his life also tries to turn normal, with a new wife and a child on the way.

City of God has opened up the wider world to not only Brazilian cinema but South American generally and it is a good thing despite films that maybe didn't deserve it getting a wider release. This is not the case with this film, which I am glad got an European release and, thanks to arts channel BBC4, got it's UK television premiere a week or so ago. The plot covers similar ground as City of God in terms of it's subtext (if you could call such an obvious point 'sub') as it deals with the violence of the lower classes as contrasted with the apathy of those rich enough to afford to leave it behind. The film makes this point in an enjoyable story that sees Máiquel sucked into being a killer of criminals and being involved with the rich men within the local community, however he is only ever their tool and can easily be replaced – he is never more than a member of the lower classes, albeit a member that is temporarily useful. This main story is enjoyably slick and stylishly told and it's only downside is that it could easily have been just a little shorter and punchier. This works but it is made much better by Fonseca's comments on current society.

As already mentioned, Máiquel's descent into violence and despair is likened onto the spiral of despair and violence seen in the slums of Rio. Although the story is exaggerated for the sake of the film, the meaning is there nonetheless. The film makes the further point of it by showing several things within Máiquel's life that he has no control over – Érica and Bill are both things suddenly in his life that just happen and he seems unable to take action either way. With these social comments the film shows itself to be intelligent and aware and this helped me get over the occasional flaws in plotting. Also helping the film a great deal is the acting from a good cast.

Benício is a big actor in Brazil and he is good here, he starts as an arrogant kid and becomes increasingly frantic and violent. His character is basic but he keeps Máiquel an interesting person and never just a metaphor for Brazil's problems. Abreu also undergoes a transformation and, although in a smaller character, hers is even better. At the start of the film she is carefree and beautiful and, with mostly attitude and voice she becomes a tired, unattractive wife! The rest of the cast are all good in various roles and there are no real weak links. The performances are all natural and make the story feel very real when delivering a script set in a very believable Rio.

Overall, City of God may get all the press but this film is almost as good despite not being as expansive and stylish. The basic story is enjoyable and involving and is only made better by the layers of commentary on society that is carries with it. The direction is good and this is a very enjoyable film that will hopefully continue to be seen by greater audiences worldwide as a result of City of God's success.