Árido Movie (2004)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Lírio Ferreira

Writers:

Lírio Ferreira (screenplay)
Lírio Ferreira (story)

Release Date:

14 April 2006 (Brazil)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Weatherman from a TV network goes back to his hometown, Vale da Rocha, a place in Northeast Brazil, devastated by the drought. He is forced to face the geographic elements and his own memories. |

Awards:

10 wins & 17 nominations

Cast

Guilherme Weber	...	Jonas
Giulia Gam	...	Soledad
José Dumont	...	Zé Elétrico
Mariana Lima	...	Verinha
Selton Mello	...	Bob (as Selton Melo)
Gustavo Falcão	...	Falcão
Matheus Nachtergaele	...	Salustiano
Aramis Trindade	...	Márcio Greyck
Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos	...	Jurandir
Maria de Jesus Bacarelli	...	Dona Carmo
Suyane Moreira	...	Wedja
Renata Sorrah	...	Stela
Paulo César Peréio	...	Lázaro
José Celso Martinez Corrêa	...	Meu Velho
Magdale Alves	...	Dedé

Runtime:

Brazil:100 min | Argentina:115 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)

Country:

Brazil

Language:

Portuguese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Brazil:16

Filming Locations:

Pernambuco, Brazil

Company:

Cinema Brasil Digital

Soundtrack:

Quando a Cidade Dorme

Disappointing and Pointless Trip of Marijuana, Water, Reunion and Revenge

In São Paulo, the TV weather man Jonas (Guilherme Weber) is called by his grandmother Dona Carmo (Maria de Jesus Bacarelli) to attend the funeral of his father, who was killed by the Indian Jurandir (Luiz Carlos Vasconcelos) while seducing his sister Wedja (Suyane Moreira). Jonas left Rocha, his poor small native town in the country of the Northeast of Brazil, with his mother when he was five and has never returned to visit his relatives. He travels to Recife, where he meets his old college friends, the potheads Bob (Selton Mello), Falcão (Gustavo Falcão) and Verinha (Mariana Lima), and in the next morning he takes a bus to Rocha. In a bus stop, he meets Soledad (Giulia Gam), who offers a lift in her jeep to Rocha. Soledad is preparing many documentaries about water in the drought. Meanwhile, Bob, Falcão and Verinha decide to travel to Rocha by car to give a moral support to their friend. After the funeral of his father, Jonas discloses the real intentions of Dona Carmo.

"Arido Movie" is a disappointing and pointless trip of marijuana, water, reunion and revenge. The story approaches different subjects that do exist in some areas of Brazil, like the tradition of honorable revenge; the political power of families; the racism against Indians; the existence of hidden plantation of marijuana; how the poor people is religiously lured by opportunists and politicians; the hypocrite behavior of part of our society is regarding drugs – therefore, the writer/director Lírio Ferreira uses a "machine-gun" of accusations, but unfortunately without a target or a message. All the characters are very unpleasant - maybe Verinha and Soledad are the most empathetic ones - and the conclusion is a total mess. It seems that the smell of excessive smoke of pot affected Lírio Ferreira mind. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Árido Movie" ("Arid Movie")