Bacurau

'Bacurau (2019)' is many things, but unoriginal isn't one of them. The film begins with a young woman returning to her remote home village with supplies such as vaccines, but it eventually morphs into something rather unexpected. I won't spoil anything specific here, but it's safe to say that the flick doesn't conform to any one genre. It doesn't even flip fully between its varying tones; it consistently carves out its own versions of them. It's difficult to describe, in a way. Essentially, it's never quite what you expect it to be, even when it seems to be heading in a specific direction. In many ways, it's all the better for it. It truly feels like its own thing, an amalgamation of influences that emerges as a distinct experience in its own right. There's nothing especially groundbreaking about any of its individual elements, but it finds freshness in the way in which it puts them all together. It's fairly long and it drags a little in places, but it's typically an enigmatic and entertaining affair that does a good job pulling you into its idiosyncratic world. It's at its best when focusing on the inhabitants of its eponymous village. Whenever it cuts to its other major set of characters, it loses quite a bit of steam and feels a bit tonally incongruent. There's a lot going on here, both in terms of plot and theme. Though it isn't fully cohesive, it's impressive that it manages to come together as nicely as it does. Apparently a lot of it plays out as satire of Brazil's current political landscape, but I don't know anything about Brazil's current political landscape; I'm unashamed to admit that most of the political satire went over my head. Ultimately, the picture is an enjoyable and well-written genre mash-up that's impressive in its ability to avoid labels and still deliver a compelling narrative.

One of my faves of the past year. Literally have nothing bad or negative to say about it. So I'll keep this one short.

Easily the strangest film I saw in 2020. The Brazilian actors feel so genuine and legit, and all the American actors are the polar opposite: Cinemax caliber acting. The juxtaposition between the two is really off-putting, but it's one of the things that gives this strange movie it's own identity. Somehow it feels like there is some sort of symbolic parallel with the weird drone UFO that you see very early in the film. At first when you see it, you think "they can't really expect us to accept how cheap looking this thing is, can they?", but it turns out it was a conscious decision and served a purpose. I have to wonder if the production team purposefully did the same thing when they cast the American actors - I wouldn't doubt it, but I can't determine why they would metaphorically.

Bacurau is not exactly a super enjoyable film to watch, but it's a very intriguing experience with a unique tone of it's own. It's rather grim overall - almost completely humorless, but there's accomplishment in that. There is plentiful violence, as it is one of the main themes of the film. I enjoyed the music throughout the film, as disjointed as it felt - the John Carpenter song felt totally out of place, but as a big fan of it, I enjoyed it anyhow. The Geraldo Vandre song is the one that stands out the most - sounds like a Spanish King Crimson - it's great! Udo Kier was also a nice addition to an otherwise unknown cast - total legend - always equally creepy and enjoyable.

I wouldn't recommend this to the average person, but if someone asked me about it and they were curious, I would definitely tell them it's good. I'd be curious to see what this director would choose to do with a higher budget. Time for me to read up on them a bit...

An ingeniously veiled & viciously incisive slice of Brazil's sociopolitical affairs that refuses to be confined by genre definitions, Bacurau is a blazingly original, deftly layered & thoroughly engaging delight that takes its inspirations from the works of both Sergio Leone & John Carpenter but creates something that's truly unique & relevant to the nation's endemic concerns.

Written & directed by Kleber Mendonça Filho & Juliano Dornelles, the film is not only strange & mysterious at first but also dreamlike & unpredictable but as plot progresses and dots connect and stakes become clearer, it gives way to a vivid & violent showdown that's gleefully barbaric & extremely cathartic. Taking its time to cement the foundations, this is smart, subversive storytelling.

The story digs into Brazil's violence-fuelled history, political corruption, structural injustice & social gap through the small-town community, investing in its bustling life before acquainting us with the sinister threat that's lurking in the vicinity. The performances are solid throughout, the collective whole turning out to be greater than the sum of its parts. And the background score adds its own synth-flavoured bits to the final print.

Overall, Bacurau is a cleverly scripted, intelligently directed, finely photographed, expertly edited, steadily paced & strongly acted cinema that's thrilling, riveting & entertaining from the first frame to the last. A potent & powerful combination of sharp commentary & tangy extravaganza that's exquisitely balanced on all fronts, Bacurau is one of the best films of last year and is accomplished enough to find a spot amongst Brazil cinema's finest. Highly recommended.

One of the strangest films I've seen, in any language, but it must have been good because I'm still processing it a day or two later. The underlying meaning and the intent are not too far off the mark - we're all targeted, hunted and sacrificed by factions that seek to profit from our misfortune, lack of opportunity, demographic, vulnerability and fear; especially when amplified by poverty - if we don't look after ourselves, nobody will. One for all and all for one!