There is a big stigma when it comes to Brazilian movies. The devaluation of our cinema comes especially from the criticism of the national public and the lack of government’s incentive. However, even though there are many obstacles on the way, according to the Brazilian Film Agency (ANCINE), per year, a hundred films are launched in Brazil.
We selected seven Brazilian movies for you to watch, so that maybe you can run away from Hollywood movies and enjoy our country’s art.
#1 Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho (The Way He Looks)
Image Credit: IMDb
Leonardo (Ghilherme Lobo) is a blind teenager living in São Paulo that, like most young people, is looking for independency. In his case, with way more difficulties: he has to deal with his protective mother, his best friend’s jealousy, the bullying at school, and the struggles of blindness. However, when Gabriel (Fábio Audi) arrives at his school, Leonardo’s feelings start to emerge and he discovers more about his sexuality, and about love, too.
Why you should watch it: I, Isabela, admit I’ve watched this movie repeatedly for, at least, a week. Leonardo and Gabriel’s friendship (and relationship) is treated in such a soft way that you’ll fall in love too.
#2 Aquarius
Image Credit: IMDb
Clara (Sônia Braga) is a 65 years-old retired journalist that has lived for decades in an apartment in Recife. However, even though she loves the place and doesn’t intend to sell it, a construction company does everything it can (and can’t) to change her mind. They want to demolish the building to build another one, modern and luxurious. Despite her resistance, their attempts to buy her apartment (the only one left to buy) continues as the city expands and verticalizes.
Why you should watch it: Clara can be seen as a great allegory of how strong you need to be in order to keep your own beliefs in the world and not follow the social standards and establishments. It is a movie about resistance.
#3 Tropa de Elite 2: O Inimigo Agora é Outro (Elite Squad 2: The Enemy Within)
Image Credit: IMDb
Elite Squad – Part Two focuses on the politicians and their relation with the militia of Rio de Janeiro. Colonel Nascimento (Wagner Moura) discovers that the system he’s in is worse than he has ever imagined, and that the chaos of the institutions is much deeper. Reinventing itself without the drug dealing, the corruption system of public security in the city continues to live, and Nascimento keeps reporting the crimes of the powerful. ones.
Why you should watch it: You can see how Nascimento has evolved since the last movie. What we love the most about this movie is that it’s not the “common sense” point of view on the urban violence – it comes from another direction, and sometimes we’re not even looking at it.
#4 Cidade de Deus (City of God)
Image Credit: IMDb
The neighborhood of City of God, in Rio de Janeiro, can be considered one of the most violent places of the city, and the routine there can be hard. Buscapé (Alexandre Rodrigues) is a young boy trying to escape from the vicious destiny that appears to happen to everyone in the region: to become a drug dealer. He’s a photographer, and registers a lot of the violence and the brutality at the favela, sometimes even things he wasn’t supposed to.
Why you should watch it: This movie is considered one of the best in the Brazilian movie industry. Strong acting, tense (and important) scenes, incredible script. And even more than that: it shows, mercilessly, the inequality in Brazil and its consequences.
#5 O Auto da Compadecida (A Dog’s Will)
Image Credit: Globo Filmes
This movies shows the adventures of João Grilo (Matheus Natchergaele) and Chicó (Selton Mello). Both are poor and lie to everyone in a small town in the hinterland of the Brazilian Northeast. But when they die, they have to go through a judgment from Jesus (Maurício Gonçalves), the Devil (Luís Melo) and Virgin Mary (Fernanda Montenegro), before they can go to paradise.
Why you should watch it: Especially because it’s funny, and the actors have an incredible acting. They play with almost everything: religion, greed, money, even death. The plot is very interesting too, because it is based on the Ariano Suassuna’s play, having acid, critical and comic tones at the same time.
#6 Todas As Razões Para Esquecer (All the Reasons to Forget)
Image Credit: Veja SP
After spending four years together, Sofia (Bianca Comparato) breaks up with Antonio (Johnny Massaro). The movie shows Antonio’s solitude, the pain of letting go and the hard path of self discovery. By wanting to get over quickly, he suffers much more, and takes it out on alcohol, sex and antidepressants (sometimes in a comic way).
Why you should watch it: The breaking-up experience in this movie is very well represented: it doesn’t come with stereotypes about “women and their weaknesses”, instead, it shows the suffering of a man who can’t get over his ex and doesn’t understand most of the things that are happening in his life.
#7 Central do Brasil (Central Station)
Image Credit: IMDb
Dora (Fernanda Montenegro) writes letters for illiterates at the Central do Brasil station, on the Center of the city of Rio de Janeiro. Even though the scrivener doesn’t send all of the letters she writes – the ones she considers useless or too fanciful –, she decides to help a little boy (Vinicius de Oliveira), after his mother dies, to find the father he never met, on the interior of the Northeast of Brazil.
Why you should watch it: This movie is a classic that shows the differences between the southeast and the northeast of Brazil in a very touching way. Fernanda Montenegro and Vinicius de Oliveira did a brilliant job and personally I, Laura, think this movie really shows the greatness that brazilian cinema can have. It is also important to highlight the movie’s photography: incredible and realistic.