Sexo, Amor e Traição

In Rio de Janeiro, the photographer Ana (Malu Mader) and the writer Carlos (Murílo Benício) are a young couple in crisis. Anna requests more attention and love, but Carlos is trying to concentrate himself in the writing of a book. They live in the fancy zone of Lagoa, one of the most expensive places in Rio de Janeiro, in an apartment that belongs to Carlos' mother, Yara (Betty Faria). In the other side of the same street, the former model Andréa (Alessandra Negrini) and her mate, the publisher Miguel (Caco Ciocler) are also in crisis, for similar reasons, since Andréa needs more attention from Miguel. Ana and Carlos receive a surprise visitor, Tomás (Fábio Assunção), who was the former love of Ana, and Andréa and Miguel lodges the zoologist Cláudia (Heloísa Périssé), the former and first love of Miguel, who was living in the USA. The six characters are related in many situations of sex, love and betrayal (in the sense of affair).

This movie, having a great team of Brazilian actors and actresses, had potential to be a great film. However, the story is not so funny and does not work well, and the cast is wasted in an only reasonable script. Further, this movie has an indecent merchandizing of a famous Brazilian department store. This procedure is very common in Brazilian soap operas, but is unacceptable in a movie sponsored by many companies. 'Os Normais – O Filme' has a very similar storyline, but is very funny. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): 'Sexo, Amor & Traição' ('Sex, Love & Betrayal')

Obs: On 31 August 2005, I saw the original and unknown (for me) Mexican movie, "Sexo, Pudor y Lágrimas", which is better and better than this Brazilian remake.

Brazilian adaptation of the Mexican Box Office hit "Sexo, Pudor y Lágrimas". If you saw the original it's interesting to compare how the same story evolves in such different places has Mexico City and Rio de Janeiro. The film is well done and keeps your attention, having a faster pace than the original, being a honest try to do a modern light-hearted screwball comedy. Besides that, the more dramatic situations are deleted from the original script, so that you don't think to much and get to the end with a smile on your face. Try to see both (although not masterpieces they both deserve 90 minutes of your time)... You decide, which one is best.

I'll have to check the original Mexican version. I felt uncompleted as i finished watching this one. I suppose i expected more from the usually intelligent and spontaneous Brazilians. The focus is clearly, no doubt, on sex. So, the device is simple, you place three men and three women on the plot, and create the artificial situation that will motivate a large number of desire, intercourse and voyeur spirit. Both the boys and girls are physically desirable enough to make this trick work, and the performances are quite good (the TV Brazilian soap opera school has its good results). The cultural mood is sex friendly, so this is a good cultural scenario to place a story of this kind.

What didn't work for me, was everything that could have been made cinematically here, but was just waisted: -The voyeur portion, when men watch women and vice-versa, this has so many good cinema pieces of experimentation that one doesn't have to be very original to bring it out competently, or at least more engaging. -also the way the several and multiple "affairs" come to unfold is very forced, unnatural. There was clearly the aim on creating those sexual/sensual/comedy bits, but this was not well en formed or cinematically well built. I suppose that was the problem

My evaluation: 2/5 despite this is not a good film, you may spend a good time with it if you forget its various faults. but you have much much better coming from Brazil.

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"Sexo, Amor e Traição" (I have no know idea what will the English name be) is one of those films you just have to see. I'm not saying it's wonderful (you'll fell frustrated if you think it is) but it's funny and intelligent, what is enough for such holiday times. The team of actors may me unknown for people who live outside Brazil, but here they're famous for their long years in soap operas (I recommend you check their filmography here in IMDb). Director Jorge Fernando, also famous here in Brazil for his directions in funny soap operas rules this film with a great intelligent humour. The situations are common but they have a slice of ridicule - something good for comedies. So, go to the nearest cinema or video shop and check it out.