In the 70's, the military dictatorship sent many political prisoners to the Presidio da Ilha Grande ("Great Island Prison) together with common prisoners, using the National Security Law, with the intent of reducing their moral and integrity. With the exchange of information between these two different worlds, the criminals learned how to organize and this was the origin of the presently huge criminal gangs in Rio de Janeiro (such as the "Commando Vermelho" (the IMDb dictionary changes the correct spelling with only one "m"), "Terceiro Commando" etc.).
Director and screenplay writer Lúcia Murat, who was a member of the Brazilian guerrilla arrested and tortured in prison by the military dictatorship, discloses this powerful and realistic view of the two worlds that does exist in the Brazilian society: the violent underworld of the slums and the repressed world of the streets. Using the friendship of a white and a black man along decades, in a non-linear and very original screenplay, Lúcia Murat follows the parallel lives of Miguel and Jorginho in the 50's, when they were children; later in the 70's, when the political prisoner Miguel meets Jorginho in the prison; and in the present days, when Miguel is a deputy of the legislative body, and the still imprisoned Jorginho is the leader of a criminal gang. In her raw and real analytical view of our society, the police supply the weapons to the criminals; a deputy has to ask for permission to the lord of the slum to implement a social program to the community. The tagline of this movie is amazing: "We all have two lives: the one we dream of and the one we live". The beautiful title song "Quase Irmãos" ("Almost Brothers") of Naná Vasconcelos and sang by Luiz Melodia and Naná Vasconcelos magnificently completes this excellent movie. Last but not the least, in accordance with the cover of the DVD, this movie was awarded in the following festivals: (1) Rio Festival: Best Director, Best Actor, Best Latin-American Film, Fipresci Prize; (2) Mar del Plata Festival: Best Iberia-American Film, Best Film (Public); (3) Havana Festival: Best Montage and Best Music Score; (4) Official Section of Toronto and Montreal; (5) Paris Festival: Best Film (Public); (6) Amazonas Film Festival: Best Film. I do not understand why this great film has not been indicated by Brazil to the Oscar. My vote is nine.
Title (Brazil): "Quase Dois Irmãos" ("Almost Two Brothers")
Director and screenplay writer Lúcia Murat, who was a member of the Brazilian guerrilla arrested and tortured in prison by the military dictatorship, discloses this powerful and realistic view of the two worlds that does exist in the Brazilian society: the violent underworld of the slums and the repressed world of the streets. Using the friendship of a white and a black man along decades, in a non-linear and very original screenplay, Lúcia Murat follows the parallel lives of Miguel and Jorginho in the 50's, when they were children; later in the 70's, when the political prisoner Miguel meets Jorginho in the prison; and in the present days, when Miguel is a deputy of the legislative body, and the still imprisoned Jorginho is the leader of a criminal gang. In her raw and real analytical view of our society, the police supply the weapons to the criminals; a deputy has to ask for permission to the lord of the slum to implement a social program to the community. The tagline of this movie is amazing: "We all have two lives: the one we dream of and the one we live". The beautiful title song "Quase Irmãos" ("Almost Brothers") of Naná Vasconcelos and sang by Luiz Melodia and Naná Vasconcelos magnificently completes this excellent movie. Last but not the least, in accordance with the cover of the DVD, this movie was awarded in the following festivals: (1) Rio Festival: Best Director, Best Actor, Best Latin-American Film, Fipresci Prize; (2) Mar del Plata Festival: Best Iberia-American Film, Best Film (Public); (3) Havana Festival: Best Montage and Best Music Score; (4) Official Section of Toronto and Montreal; (5) Paris Festival: Best Film (Public); (6) Amazonas Film Festival: Best Film. I do not understand why this great film has not been indicated by Brazil to the Oscar. My vote is nine.
Title (Brazil): "Quase Dois Irmãos" ("Almost Two Brothers")