A heady mix of sex, violence, murder and police brutality, this film is apparently based on a real-life Brazilian crime case. The film is technically faulty, with fuzzy focus, washed colour, poor sound, and abrupt editing, however this adds to the voyeuristic sensation the viewer feels. The two teenage lovers are vulnerably youthful, and their nude sex scenes uninhibited and at times quite startling, for example when Toninho, shortly after first meeting Sandra, quickly strips naked and proceeds to fondle and force himself upon her. The violence is no less confronting, and parallel with the story of the two ill-fated lovers is the account of a police investigation into a series of murders which Sandra's estranged father, Galvao, is conducting. I don't wish to give any more of the story away, but for those who would enjoy a vivid and authentic look at the sordid underbelly of Rio's demi-monde, it would be hard to go past this disturbing study.
5 Reviews
gritty and seductive
yawnmower115 July 2007
A girl in Rio de Janeiro, estranged from her bullying detective father, falls in love with a boy. She works in a strip club. He has an angelic face and heavenly body, but is also a cold-blooded sociopath. To complicate matters, the boy's crimes are being investigated by the girl's very nasty and hypocritical father.
This little Brazilian gem -- with all its flaws and faults -- is a powerful film. It looks life, with all its brutality and injustice, right in the face. Despite their being kicked around by life and the police, the two naive lovers try to make a life together against all odds. It's a wild dream, though, and she knows it. But one feels her dilemma. It's impossible not to love this beautiful and seductive outlaw.
Theirs is a story worth of Greek tragedy.
This little Brazilian gem -- with all its flaws and faults -- is a powerful film. It looks life, with all its brutality and injustice, right in the face. Despite their being kicked around by life and the police, the two naive lovers try to make a life together against all odds. It's a wild dream, though, and she knows it. But one feels her dilemma. It's impossible not to love this beautiful and seductive outlaw.
Theirs is a story worth of Greek tragedy.
Sexploitation underworld crime drama thriller in Rio de Janeiro
guisreis17 January 2023
Very good film by Fábio Barreto, a sexploitation underworld crime drama thriller in Rio de Janeiro. With excellent performances of Paulo Gracindo and Cristina Aché, good cinematography and a very engaging story, it has to parallel segments that merge while the film advances. Inspector Galvão, an evil harsh policeman used to torture just like his colleagues during military dictatorship, has a longstanding rupture with his daughter, who was turned into a prostitute in a strip club in red light area of Copacabana. The veteran cop is also engaged in capturing a serial killer of taxi drivers. On the other hand, she starts a toxic but effective affair with the misogynous former lover and pimp of a transgender roomate of hers. The bizarre story written by José Louzeiro and Leopoldo Serran works very well, and this is one of the great Brazilian movies from the 70's in my opinion.
Sleaze with a heart and soul?
FudKicker_Malloy31 August 2008
Warning: Spoilers
"It's like I told you: If you stall, you die. There's not a place in this world for everybody."
There is so much to this film, that as I was typing up a review, it began to resemble some college student's dissertation. So instead, I will discuss the scenes that I loved most. Fair enough?
First of all, I figured this was a little film that went by with no notice; that it was released in the U.S. Halloween of 1982, most likely limited to the art-house circuit. But to my surprise, there are many glowing reviews for Amor Bandido! Playboy, Village Voice, L.A. Times, and even Rex Reed all praised it. By all appearances and internet searches, Amor Bandido comes off as a bit of late 1970s Brazilian sleaze, when it's anything but!
The VHS print is a tad grimy, which actually enhances the film, making it feel like a hidden camera is documenting these separate-yet-connected people living in desperation, just trying to get by. Sandra is built like a tooth-pick, which I actually find refreshing. When I think of Brazilian women, I think of, well, not her. She's really quite striking, and with her swarthy skin, 1930s styled curls and thin frame, she resembles P.J. Harvey by way of flapper girl. Toninho is boyishly adorable (his voice and smile are very charming) and though he's clad in those very late '70s fashions of bell-bottomed slacks and polyester, large-collared shirts, all's right with the world when he strips them off (which is quite often). As lovely as he is, it is Sandra who is more sympathetic, as this is really her story. Toninho is fittingly a sociopath, coming off as an absolute bastard in scenes, wherein others with Sandra, he is sweet and loving.
Together, they're equal parts passionate and vitriolic. In fact, when they first meet, Toninho strips down and Sandra, clad only in a towel start physically and verbally brawling, which then leads to them going at each other passionately. There are plenty of sex scenes, all raw and extremely erotic. Again, as stated with the picture quality making it feel like a documentary, it feels as though you're watching two lovers in highly intimate acts together. They claw and bite each other, clinging as if the other will go away if they let go. When one is upset with the other, they fight and hit each other, but it always ends with Toninho desperately coming back to Sandra, and the two of them rutting like animals.
I greatly enjoyed the scenes of the two of them doing the most simplistic things that most normal couples do; such as going to the movies and shopping at an outdoor market for tangerines. Sandra comes alive, talking about the simple joys such things bring her, and Toninho listens intently, genuinely interested. After buying tangerines, they sit by the beach and watch the ocean, discussing how they could go to Japan or Hawaii some day.
The theater scene was particularly touching, as Sandra watches her favorite singer/actor, Roberto Carlos, perched at the edge of her seat and singing along with him. Later on, they both sit in bed with tangerine peels scattered all over the bedspread, watching an old black and white film on television, Sandra wide-eyed with wonder. Together, they share a beautifully passionate love and happiness neither had experienced before.
The scenes of Sandra's father, Galvão, were just as heart-breaking. This is a broken man, one of many broken characters, wanting to reach out to the now adult child he rejected. He rambles on about how much a good student Sandra once was, how proud she made her parents. But at the age of 13, she fell into a bad crowd and began to act out sexually; feeling that Sandra was bringing great shame upon them, she was thrown out. Galvão had not seen her since, until now. Her mother and his wife died, her last request that the rest of the family overcome their past. Besides this great burden Galvão carries upon his heavy, tired frame, he and the rest of his police precinct are on the hunt for someone who is murdering and robbing cab drivers. Between these two issues, Galvão can find no rest or comfort, determined to catch the killer and repair his relationship with Sandra.
The film takes a heart-breaking turn (of course!) when Galvão finds out about Sandra and Toninho. He wants to get information out of her so the precinct can set up a sting outside of the club she works at, but she refuses. Galvão is pained by this, as his fellow officers wait impatiently by the wayside to beat the information out of her. Galvão is then seen inside the police van, jaw clenched, eyes squeezed shut, sweating profusely, with his hands clamped over his ears, trying to drown out his daughter's pained screams.
Sandra is all too familiar with loss and personal tragedy, and now she has given in; she is anticipating the inevitable end. Soon, the only reason Sandra has for going on will be taken from her; she will hold him broken and bloody in her arms.
My attraction to this film was because of the inevitable tragic ending; my favorite love stories all involve tragic ends, everything leading up to it with a two-against-the-world mentality. Amor Bandido would make a great triple feature with Bonnie and Clyde and Sid and Nancy.
If you find a copy of this film, whether to rent or buy, do so. It's worth it.
And a bit of trivia: -In a scene wherein Sandra and Toninho run away from a bit of trouble, they pass a theater featuring the actors' names (Cristina Aché and Paulo Guarnieri) on the marquee.
There is so much to this film, that as I was typing up a review, it began to resemble some college student's dissertation. So instead, I will discuss the scenes that I loved most. Fair enough?
First of all, I figured this was a little film that went by with no notice; that it was released in the U.S. Halloween of 1982, most likely limited to the art-house circuit. But to my surprise, there are many glowing reviews for Amor Bandido! Playboy, Village Voice, L.A. Times, and even Rex Reed all praised it. By all appearances and internet searches, Amor Bandido comes off as a bit of late 1970s Brazilian sleaze, when it's anything but!
The VHS print is a tad grimy, which actually enhances the film, making it feel like a hidden camera is documenting these separate-yet-connected people living in desperation, just trying to get by. Sandra is built like a tooth-pick, which I actually find refreshing. When I think of Brazilian women, I think of, well, not her. She's really quite striking, and with her swarthy skin, 1930s styled curls and thin frame, she resembles P.J. Harvey by way of flapper girl. Toninho is boyishly adorable (his voice and smile are very charming) and though he's clad in those very late '70s fashions of bell-bottomed slacks and polyester, large-collared shirts, all's right with the world when he strips them off (which is quite often). As lovely as he is, it is Sandra who is more sympathetic, as this is really her story. Toninho is fittingly a sociopath, coming off as an absolute bastard in scenes, wherein others with Sandra, he is sweet and loving.
Together, they're equal parts passionate and vitriolic. In fact, when they first meet, Toninho strips down and Sandra, clad only in a towel start physically and verbally brawling, which then leads to them going at each other passionately. There are plenty of sex scenes, all raw and extremely erotic. Again, as stated with the picture quality making it feel like a documentary, it feels as though you're watching two lovers in highly intimate acts together. They claw and bite each other, clinging as if the other will go away if they let go. When one is upset with the other, they fight and hit each other, but it always ends with Toninho desperately coming back to Sandra, and the two of them rutting like animals.
I greatly enjoyed the scenes of the two of them doing the most simplistic things that most normal couples do; such as going to the movies and shopping at an outdoor market for tangerines. Sandra comes alive, talking about the simple joys such things bring her, and Toninho listens intently, genuinely interested. After buying tangerines, they sit by the beach and watch the ocean, discussing how they could go to Japan or Hawaii some day.
The theater scene was particularly touching, as Sandra watches her favorite singer/actor, Roberto Carlos, perched at the edge of her seat and singing along with him. Later on, they both sit in bed with tangerine peels scattered all over the bedspread, watching an old black and white film on television, Sandra wide-eyed with wonder. Together, they share a beautifully passionate love and happiness neither had experienced before.
The scenes of Sandra's father, Galvão, were just as heart-breaking. This is a broken man, one of many broken characters, wanting to reach out to the now adult child he rejected. He rambles on about how much a good student Sandra once was, how proud she made her parents. But at the age of 13, she fell into a bad crowd and began to act out sexually; feeling that Sandra was bringing great shame upon them, she was thrown out. Galvão had not seen her since, until now. Her mother and his wife died, her last request that the rest of the family overcome their past. Besides this great burden Galvão carries upon his heavy, tired frame, he and the rest of his police precinct are on the hunt for someone who is murdering and robbing cab drivers. Between these two issues, Galvão can find no rest or comfort, determined to catch the killer and repair his relationship with Sandra.
The film takes a heart-breaking turn (of course!) when Galvão finds out about Sandra and Toninho. He wants to get information out of her so the precinct can set up a sting outside of the club she works at, but she refuses. Galvão is pained by this, as his fellow officers wait impatiently by the wayside to beat the information out of her. Galvão is then seen inside the police van, jaw clenched, eyes squeezed shut, sweating profusely, with his hands clamped over his ears, trying to drown out his daughter's pained screams.
Sandra is all too familiar with loss and personal tragedy, and now she has given in; she is anticipating the inevitable end. Soon, the only reason Sandra has for going on will be taken from her; she will hold him broken and bloody in her arms.
My attraction to this film was because of the inevitable tragic ending; my favorite love stories all involve tragic ends, everything leading up to it with a two-against-the-world mentality. Amor Bandido would make a great triple feature with Bonnie and Clyde and Sid and Nancy.
If you find a copy of this film, whether to rent or buy, do so. It's worth it.
And a bit of trivia: -In a scene wherein Sandra and Toninho run away from a bit of trouble, they pass a theater featuring the actors' names (Cristina Aché and Paulo Guarnieri) on the marquee.
Sick as a Tarantino movie.
dudumnz28 May 2022
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