Review by claudio_carvalho

In the red light district of São Paulo, lives of loneliness and hopeless people cross in a Saturday night. The low class workers Toninho (Ney Latorraca) and his friend Giba (Roberto Bolant) leave the periphery with their monthly salaries expecting to have sex. They meet two prostitutes, Marcela (Marlene França) and Ivete (Betina Vianny), and along the night in a very low budget hotel, their relationships deteriorate and nothing happens as planned. Meanwhile, the country man Pedro (Ewerton de Castro) arrives trying to bring her former fiancée and presently pregnant prostitute back to Laranjeiras, their home town.

"A Noite do Desejo" is a timeless and melancholic tale of loneliness and hopeless people in a big city. The dramatic story takes place in São Paulo, but could be in Hamburg, New York, Rio de Janeiro or in any other worldwide big city. Supported by a depressive soundtrack, magnificent cinematography, awesome performances and stunning direction, this sad movie is a gem to be discovered. In spite of the unnecessary sequence with the blitz of the police in the hotel that does not fit with the rest of the story, it does not spoil the conclusion of the plot. This movie was also released with the title "Data Marcada para o Sexo" ("Date Scheduled for Sex"). My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "A Noite do Desejo" ("The Night of the Desire")