neguinho

This is a wonderful film about an old blind man who comes to Sao Paulo to revisit the past and find the woman whom he has never been able to forget. Accompanying him is his driver Ze Carlos, in a terrific performance by Adriano Stuart. The two lumber through the streets of the city in an old North American style convertible visiting the now dilapidated places of the old man's memory and encountering the people of Sao Paulo along the way. The film has been put in the category of docu-drama but don't let that turn you off because what the director has done is cut seamlessly between the fictional narrative, actual interviews with the disposessed of Sao Paulo and historical footage of the city and in so doing transcends form to create a work of art that is political without being judgmental, ironic yet engaged, moving and also very funny.

This film was shot by Wenders while he was waiting for Coppola to get the financing to complete Hammett and his frustrations with that experience are clearly expressed here. It is a very personal film and, as such, I think one of his best. The end sequence in LA is classic. Shot in beautiful black and white, this is really a must see for any fan of the 'art film' in general and of Wenders' work in particular.