O Bem-Amado

Just finished watching O Bem-Amado as it was featured on Globoplay - Globo streaming app. I was pleasantly surprised by its dialogues, outstanding plot, very fine satire - all in all it's a masterpiece which absolutely didn't age, as Brazil still faces the same challenges like in 1973.

In 1973, playwright Dias Gomes launched a soap opera on the then "new" Rede Globo, called "O Bem Amado". Odorico Paraguaçu, played by Paulo Gracindo, was a parody of Brazilian politicians. At a certain point, Sucupira is close to facing a disease that could decimate the population. Gracindo as Odorico Paraguassu and the Cajazeiras sisters: Ida Gomes (Dodô), Dorinha Durval (Dudu) and Dirce Migliaccio (Juju) were simply outstanding. O Bem Amado was the first soap opera in color produced by Rede Globo. The analogy with real life and real politics in the 2020s is irresistible. Brazilian President Lula has for several tiimes launched himself as the leader of a group of countries to mediate a solution to the war in Ukraine and bring together the UN with the same purpose, in the same vein as the mayor of Sucupira's Paraguassu... l.o.l.