Aventuras de um Paraíba

The poor Zé Branco (Caíque Ferreira) travels from Paraíba and arrives in Rio de Janeiro to live with his friend Zé Preto (Paulão), who is a factory's worker, in a room in a slum expecting to win and have a better life in Rio.

Zé gets a temporary work; begs in front of a church; sells ice-cream on the beach; sings in a TV show; but life is not easy in the big city. Meanwhile he saves the blind Branca (Claudia Ohana) while crossing the street and they have a crush on each other. But Branca is courted by the dangerous former police detective Miguel Matoso (Paulo Villaça).

When Preto is fired from his job, he becomes a criminal and moves to a hideout. Meanwhile, Zé has an affair with the photographer Débora (Tamara Taxman), but he does not forget Branca. During the Carnival, Zé sees Branca with Miguel and he kidnaps the girl, and the result is tragic.

"Aventuras de um Paraíba" is a messy, but very nostalgic film. The story has comedy, romance, drama, crime and politics and is corny and confused. But there are many external shots and the viewer has the chance to revisit Rio de Janeiro in the early 80's, Flamengo soccer team one year after winning Liverpool and the World Soccer Championship in Tokyo; the Brazilian entertainer Chacrinha; Carnival at Av. President Vargas and the Red and Black Ball; Copacabana beach. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Aventuras de um Paraíba" ("Adventures of a Paraíba" (redneck from the Northeast of Brazil))

Aventuras de um Paraíba is one those brazilian movies from that time which brings good memories when l was a teenager, living in São Paulo a big city very similar with Rio de Janeiro without beach, but with same main problem around the passion for Carnival and football and receiving a lot of people from everywhere from Brazil, this funny character from northeast a poorest place of our country.

The plot is around him, adventures in a big city, he starts working in a building construction and fired in the first day, after ice cream's salesman in a beach, trying to be a singer on a famous TV show and TV advertsing later and having fun on stadium watching football!!!! And he has problem with people who insists to visit their apartments, very unusual and funny to start, this is really good Brazilian movie!!

Resume:

First watch: 1992 / How many: 2 / Source: TV-DVD-R / Rating: 6.5.

The film has a simple and loose story about the (mostly sexual) adventures of a poor Northeastern in Rio de Janeiro, his forbidden love with a blind woman, and his old friendship with a black guy who also migrated to the not always "marvel town". Sexploitation with prejudices (against blacks, gays and Northeasterns), recurrent in Brazilian cinema those years, appear along the movie. Surprisingly, together with these problems, there is also sort of social and political concern (on poverty, unemployment, police violence against workers, lack of opportunities, police involvement with organized crime), and it may be observed that there was still a military dictatorship (coming to its end) in Brazil in 1982. Although full of drawbacks, the film amuses and is above average in Brazilian filmography in early 80's. Elements of the culture in Rio de Janeiro (besides the beautiful landscapes) have been highlighted, such as Flamengo fanbase, carnival, bath on the beach, and a particular way of yelling dirty words. All the carnival action scene was nice. I just cannot understand how an excellent actor such as Chico Diaz had such a tiny role.