A Brasileira

Good for a gang of laughs and some late night conversation..

Clark (Luke Tululescu) is a hair stylist-artist. In other words, he is more than just a man with a pair of shears. He is also quite sensitive and the folks who come in the shop for his skills adore him. Alas, he is not happy for he is madly in love with his roommate, Lucia, who already has a Neanderthal for a boyfriend. She loves him as a friend, period. Thinking that maybe his image is not "ultra manly" enough for Lucia, Clark lets himself get talked into a course in masculinity by a familiar barkeep. In the rooms behind the bar, Lucia's man plus his friend (Dean Cain) try to "toughen up" and direct Clark and his two pals to learn macho ways. Hilarity ensues, since Clark is not liking this punishment too much. But, he sticks it out, for perhaps Lucia will look his way. Then, this beautiful Brazilian lady and her squeeze begin having troubles. Is this Clark's big chance? This rather masculine take on a romcom has quite a number of sleazy, overtly sexual scenes. Therefore, its not for all. But, it still has plenty of humor and fun for the typical fan of romantic comedy. The cast is good looking, too, although if you think Cain is the star (and the cover makes one think so) you are wrong. He is a secondary character and not on the screen very much at all. On the other hand, costumes, sets and direction are quite adequate. If you are the ever searching comic love story fan, as many of us are, you will appreciate the lion's share of this one.

I really enjoyed this film. It is a love triangle between a hot Brazilian girl, Lucia and two very different guys: Clark, a straight but somewhat nerdy hair dresser and Buck, a man's man, who is Lucia's boyfriend. The threesome have great energy and the supporting cast is really funny. Dean Cain plays one of the tough guy coaches at the Man Camp, a "secret" place where Clark goes to become more manly in the hopes of impressing the love of his life, Lucia. When he gets there he finds out that the guy running the camp is his nemesis, Buck. But Buck is good at his job, and Clark and his friends have some hilarious scenes as they learn what it takes to be real men - how to pick up a girl in a bar, how to talk about sports, how to chop wood and how to get the attention of the ladies. Mariel Hemingway is ageless and plays one of Clark's client. The movie takes an interesting twist when Lucia finds out that Buck is not as faithful as she thought and it is up to Clark to decide if he seizes the opportunity or if he stands by his new buddy, Buck. MAN CAMP is a cute comedy with a great cast.