The Man of the Year (2003) User Reviews

Blonds have more fun

[jotix100 · 8/10 · 14 November 2004]

I stumbled unto this film by mere coincidence. I had no idea what to expect, not being acquainted with the director, or any of its excellent stars, although I've seen quite a few Brazilian films. Director Jose Enrique Fonseca works miracles with this movie and in the process gets amazing performances from all of his cast.

This is a film where there is a lot of violence, but it also works as a moral tale. When all seems to be lost in the Brazilian society, we get a sort of paid avenger that will get rid of the bad element terrorizing the 'hood. This is the underlying theme of the film.

Maiquel, as played by Murilo Benicio, is a cool cat with no apparent scruples. Deep down, he strongly believes he is doing the right thing in helping people get revenge with what the inept police doesn't even bother to do. Mr. Benicio gives a controlled performance with funny moments. His relationship with the pet pig he receives from a satisfied customer, gives comic relief from his otherwise well known underground activities.

Claudia Abreu, a beautiful actress plays Cledir who eventually will marry Maiquel, the man she helped to give a "new blond look". Also in the cast, Natalia Lage, another gorgeous young woman who reappears in Maiquel's life only to transform herself when she discovers religion and wants him to join in the evangelical movement, something he never does.

Some people have compared this film to "City of God", and frankly, there is no basis for the comparison. While the latter film showed the life in the poor favelas, the characters of this film are lower middle class people with a different set of values in life. They're not completely destitute, or as hopeless, as the poor young people of the other film.

Mr. Fonseca, the director, shows great promise. We look forward to his next film.

A Quietly Disturbing Character Study Made with Style

[gradyharp · 8/10 · 6 May 2006]

Murilo Benecio is a young Brazilian actor who just keeps turning out fine, solid and very different character roles. As the leading character is this well made film by director Jose Henrique Fonseca from a script written by his father Rubem Fonseca in turn based on the novel 'O Matador' by Patricia Melo, Benecio molds a memorable portrait of a man of low self esteem who is strangely and inadvertently raised to the level of hero in the most bizarre of circumstances.

The setting is Rio de Janiero and Maiquel is a loner looking for an identity. On a bet he decides to have his dark hair bleached by the beautiful beautician Cledir (Claudia Abreu) and finds that as he steps back into his world he is the object of notice. After a cruel teasing by thug Suel (Wagner Moura) he buys a gun and almost unwittingly kills Suel who dies in the arms of his girlfriend Erica (Natalia Lage). Despite Maiquel's fears of his arrest he finds that the neighborhood rewards him for ridding them of a criminal and Maiquel becomes a hero. Not only is he rewarded with gifts (including a pet pig he names Bill after watching Bill Clinton's visit to Brazil on TV!), he is also given free dental work by Dr. Carvalho (Jorge Doria) in exchange for agreeing to kill an enemy of the dentist. More and more people ask Maiquel to whack bad people making Maiguel's new blond persona a hit man and man of the year. How he ultimately begins to spiral downward when his life is complicated by a marriage and family and holding a regular job forces him to initiate his own choices of violence and return to his original hair color to alter his destiny! If the story sounds odd, it is really a depiction of life in the city of Rio where the police are impotent to control the violence that prevails. Maiquel becomes the Robin Hood/Batman type who brings a degree of safety to his community. Wisely Benecio holds our attention and our compassion as he performs his many murders, creating a man in whom we can believe and applaud despite the grim things he does.

The cast is uniformly fine and the cinematography by Breno Silveira and the musical score by Dado Villa-Lobos (an important guitar player, relation to composer Heitor Villa-Lobos unknown!) is classy. This is yet another fine film from Brazil, in Portuguese, and one that deserves wide attention - especially for Murilo Benecio's superb performance. Recommended. Grady Harp

The Underground Life in the Periphery of the Big Brazilian Cities

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 31 October 2004]

In Baixada Fluminense, in the State of Rio de Janeiro and in the periphery of the City of Rio de Janeiro, Máiquel (Murilo Benício) is a loser, who believes that God wants to f*** him and that life cannot be controlled, like a flow of a river. He loses a soccer bet with his friends and has to dye his hair blond, using the services of the gorgeous hairdresser Cledir (Cláudia Abreu). In the night, when he goes to a small bar dating Cledir to show his friend the payment of the bet and his new beautiful girlfriend, the criminal Suel (Wagner Moura) laugh him. Máiquel becomes upset and challenge Suel to a duel. On the next day, Máiquel shoots and kills Suel, and becomes famous in the neighborhood as a vigilante. The fifteen years old mistress of Suel, Érica (Natália Lage) moves to his apartment and Máiquel becomes a sensation in the community where he lives. His fame of hero reaches the upper class dentist Dr. Carvalho (Jóge Dória), who hires Máiquel to kill the man who raped his seventeen years old daughter Gabriela (Mariana Ximenes). Meanwhile, Cledir gets pregnant and marries Máiquel. This is the beginning of his successful career of killer. In the end, Máiquel believes that the are two options for like: let it go, like a flow of a river, or use reins and ride it like a horse.

It seems that the success of 'Cidade de Deus' gave enough courage to other directors to expose to the world the underground life in the periphery and slums of the big Brazilian cities. 'O Homem do Ano' is based on a successful book of Patrícia Melo called 'O Matador' ('The Killer'). In the book, the story takes place in the periphery of São Paulo, but once the reality in the periphery of Rio de Janeiro is the same and due to geographical reasons, the story was transposed to the Baixada Fluminense, one of the most violent places in Brazil. Its narration in off by Máiquel recalls a film-noir. The story has most of the components of the popular and cheap Brazilian newspapers: the common murders and execution by vigilantes in the periphery of the Brazilian big cities and the religious fanaticism of the hopeless low classes. The middle and upper classes passively accepts this fearful way of life. Most of the characters in this movie represents a great segment of our society, where in some weekends can show more than seventy deaths of 'anonymous and common persons' only in Baixada Fluminense. The movie is never corny, there is no exaggeration in the situations and is based on the worst present problem of our society, the violence. Lack of education, corruption, impunity, lack of employment, very low salaries and life conditions, lack of perspective in life, lack of security, hypocrisy of the upper classes, all of these components in minor or greater proportions, result in the increasing violence showed in movies like 'O Homem do Ano', 'Cidade de Deus', 'Cidade dos Homens' and other sad examples of Brazilian society. Just as a curiosity, Cláudia Abreu has a daughter (Maria) with the director José Henrique Fonseca, who is son of the writer Rubem Fonseca. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): 'O Homem do Ano' ('The Man of the Year')

In City of God's shadow but a great film with a good plot and well-delivered social commentary

[bob the moo · 24 May 2004]

After getting his hair dyed blond as a bet, Máiquel goes to his local bar where he is laughed at by Suel. Enraged by this insult (in front of a girl), he returns later and shoots Suel. He is afraid of capture by the police but he finds that not only is he considered a hero by the local community but also by the police – who are happy that he killed Suel as he was a criminal but too young to be sent to jail. With his reputation as a vigilante he is approached by his dentist, Dr Carvalho to do another killing – a rapist who attacked his 17-year-old daughter. Máiquel finds himself drawn further into the killings while his life also tries to turn normal, with a new wife and a child on the way.

City of God has opened up the wider world to not only Brazilian cinema but South American generally and it is a good thing despite films that maybe didn't deserve it getting a wider release. This is not the case with this film, which I am glad got an European release and, thanks to arts channel BBC4, got it's UK television premiere a week or so ago. The plot covers similar ground as City of God in terms of it's subtext (if you could call such an obvious point 'sub') as it deals with the violence of the lower classes as contrasted with the apathy of those rich enough to afford to leave it behind. The film makes this point in an enjoyable story that sees Máiquel sucked into being a killer of criminals and being involved with the rich men within the local community, however he is only ever their tool and can easily be replaced – he is never more than a member of the lower classes, albeit a member that is temporarily useful. This main story is enjoyably slick and stylishly told and it's only downside is that it could easily have been just a little shorter and punchier. This works but it is made much better by Fonseca's comments on current society.

As already mentioned, Máiquel's descent into violence and despair is likened onto the spiral of despair and violence seen in the slums of Rio. Although the story is exaggerated for the sake of the film, the meaning is there nonetheless. The film makes the further point of it by showing several things within Máiquel's life that he has no control over – Érica and Bill are both things suddenly in his life that just happen and he seems unable to take action either way. With these social comments the film shows itself to be intelligent and aware and this helped me get over the occasional flaws in plotting. Also helping the film a great deal is the acting from a good cast.

Benício is a big actor in Brazil and he is good here, he starts as an arrogant kid and becomes increasingly frantic and violent. His character is basic but he keeps Máiquel an interesting person and never just a metaphor for Brazil's problems. Abreu also undergoes a transformation and, although in a smaller character, hers is even better. At the start of the film she is carefree and beautiful and, with mostly attitude and voice she becomes a tired, unattractive wife! The rest of the cast are all good in various roles and there are no real weak links. The performances are all natural and make the story feel very real when delivering a script set in a very believable Rio.

Overall, City of God may get all the press but this film is almost as good despite not being as expansive and stylish. The basic story is enjoyable and involving and is only made better by the layers of commentary on society that is carries with it. The direction is good and this is a very enjoyable film that will hopefully continue to be seen by greater audiences worldwide as a result of City of God's success.

The Accidental Scarface

[deastman_uk · 7/10 · 1 September 2003]

After City of God, any Brazilian film will get a good reception. This movie has now been released as "Man of the Year" in UK cinemas.

The low key start, where we see an angry kid shooting a man we later find out is detested in the community, gives way to escalating situations which owe quite a bit to Scarface. Like many similar films, a lot of time is spent looking at the consequences of immoral behaviour - not attempting explanation. The film walks the now familiar fine line between entertainment and moral relataivism quite successfully, mainly because the characters stay undiminished throughout.

The performances between the principles is really good. But it is the way the film starts rooted in a halting reality that makes it so watchable. Watching our protagonist brooding in his small flat with the girlfriend of his first victim, and a small piglet - neither of which he has control over - is what films are all about.

It's more than a baby pig, much more!

[sasnow · 10/10 · 29 June 2004]

I'm not sure just where in the USA this Brazilian film has been released but I'm grateful that it came to my small city...

I saw "City of God" and was mesmerized by its raw power and its characters struggling with their sordid lives of hopelessness. But "The Man of the Year" I had to see twice. Everything about this film appealed to me. Murilo Benicio as Maiquel is nothing less than brilliant as a quiet middle class loser - vain, smug, angry, brooding, thoughtful, remorseful, duped, and with a special fondness for a baby pig that is handed him as a gift. Many twists and turns of fate cause his life to take on dimensions similar to a Greek tragedy. The two women in his life are equally well-cast, along with just about everyone in the entire film. Maiquel struggles with two jealous women, life-long friendships, and along with his new job as a hit-man, he has more than enough to keep him brooding, on edge, questioning his actions, his fate. I could sense his desperation in every scene. And always, you empathize with him.

What made this movie especially powerful for me was the way it was filmed. I read that it is the first movie of director Jose Enrique Fonseca - this man has a real future! The beginning panorama of Rio at night, Murilo's apartment and the pet shop, the wedding, a dose of religion, the final round of killings, the Rave - these and other scenes were filmed with such beauty and panache, propelling the plot with momentum, vigor, color, even tenderness as the Murilo's life changes bigtime. There are touches of humor - being in the dentist's chair, bathing a baby pig, ranting about the pitfalls of marriage. The musical score added immensely to the film, and the camera angles and overall cinematography were expert.

Here's to filmmakers from Brazil, Mexico, and other countries in Central and South America! I hope this film has a wide release, it deserves it.

The land of street killers and Christ fanatics

[mario_c · 6/10 · 24 March 2008]

Welcome to Rio de Janeiro! One of the most beautiful cities in the world and a place where social dissimilarities are completely absurd and out of control, at the same time!… In this city, you can easily find every kind of people, from the most wealthy to the worst scum! This film is just about that! It's a thriller/drama which reveals these social differences and the power of the higher classes' over the lower, through money and corruption… It does a very good social critic to Brazilian society (in spite of some almost funny and ridiculous ideas, like that "killers company" they created in the film! As far as I know it works in gangs! A business company created out of a gang can only be a joke! Except if we talk about mafia, of course…) and has some credible and well made characters. I also enjoyed the fact of the director describe one other curious reality in Brazil: it's a country which has a huge and almost uncontrollable criminality, but, at the same time, it's profoundly religious! Especially in big cities like São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro you can easy find, crossing the same street, an aberrant criminal (a killer, like the main character of this movie, which kills people for money) and a devoted guy which is going to church to pray to Jesus to salve his soul!

NOT COG, but still amazing

[Splattii · 10/10 · 14 June 2004]

What can I say about The Man of the Year other than SEE THIS NOW.

I'd like to start by saying that I don't really understand all the comparisons to City of God. I am a HUGE fan of City of God, and I even have Palace II on DVD which seems to be a rarity. I went into The Man of the Year with high hopes, and although they were met, I just don't see the resemblance to COG. I understand it's Brazilian and there are guns / gangs involved but that's about it in my eyes. I'm sure many will disagree with me, but I guess that's why there are multiple user comments.

The best way I can describe this film is El Mariachi meets Tarentino. It seems to be more of a play on El Mariachi in my opinion, however it still manages to be unique enough to make it a story of it's own. There are some comedic moments in which I found myself laughing, while at other moments I felt myself getting excited and filled with tension as I wondered what was going to happen next. When it was all said and done however, this movie was fantastic. I don't want to give much away and other users have basically outlined the plot, so I'll leave it at that. A great film, and a film I hope many people have a chance to see.

I got my copy from Film Movement, and I have to say this little company is really delivery some quality film. People should pay more attention to them.

could be much better

[tttw6 · 6/10 · 28 April 2007]

this film started out very good and i thought i was in for a treat. i found it watchable as they managed to make me interested in the main characters but i was a let down by the plot in the end simply because it just did not fit my high expectations. the acting was what gave this film a pass but i think the plot and script let it down. i thought the plot had a lot of potential but turned out weak as some parts just don't fit together and their were some unnecessary scenes e.g him flirting with the dentist daughter while there was little character development so in the end i had a mixed feelings about recommending it as there is really nothing that special about it.

it was also spoilt by some stupid things that u will only ever see in films but never in real life as things are just not done as easily as they make it look in this film.

Very deep, very well done... and very real!

[pmiranda-3 · 9/10 · 21 May 2004]

I started to see Brazilian movies a few years ago. And after «City of God», and the mini-series «Cidade dos Homens» («City of Men»), I was really expecting to see another movie about criminality, but outside the «favelas». Man of The Year, was the best picture on this subject, and together with «City of God» we can have a real perspective on the Brazilian crime scene.

The movie was really well directed, the script and the story were great and very original, and the photography and angles were very well done. The actors were Great ! as the Brazilian cast have already teach us on prior movies... They promise a lot !

It's a common story, about how everything started to an Hit-man... and it all make sense and happen in a so natural way... It's like the destiny was already written.

I specially enjoyed the end of the movie, because I was really expecting the «usual» bad ending on a movie like this... But the director give us a chance...

I gave a 9 out of 10 to this picture and I'm already waiting for the next Brazilian movie on this thematics.

Great Movie !

A slightly different presentation of the typical story of a man turning into a criminal

[cinish · 6/10 · 9 October 2012]

I don't remember ever seeing a Portugese movie.That is the reason I picked this movie.I would recommend Ram Gopal Varma to watch this movie.He can take a few pieces from this one to mix into his collection and build his next masala bollywood movie. It is a fair movie but not that great. Takes you through a world of crime through a simpleton protagonist - a softie who goes from foolish to drastic to gory to scheming.It has been a week since I watched it.I still have some of the scenes running through my mind. The movie does do it's presentation pretty well but you have seen other movies like this one earlier and hence don't feel that good after watching this one.

Simply Brilliant Brazilian Crime Story

[t-dooley-69-386916 · 8/10 · 18 October 2016]

Maiquel (Murilo Benício) is a simple man living in Rio de Janeiro and after he loses a football bet he has to dye his hair blond. When he looks in the mirror he sees a different him and he likes what he sees.

Then on entering his local bar, a local crim and trouble maker, Suel (a very young Wagner Moura), insults him. Maiquel broods on it and then decides to do something about it. This leads to his life changing beyond recognition as his actions catapult him from the scared ordinary man he was to something he had never dreamt of.

Now to say anymore would spoil the plot and, more importantly, the fun, as this is a crime story, a comedy, a love story and a great watch all combined. Everyone plays their parts beautifully and the pacing is perfect. This is one of those films where if you blink you are going to miss something. The humour isn't forced either as it seems to play perfectly with the actual situations. There is some violence too so this is not a parody or anything and when it need to get serious it does not really pull its punches either.

This is a film I completely loved and it is in Portuguese with some good sub titles, but not the best, and is one of those films where if you were not a fan of World cinema before you watched it, then you most certainly will be by the end.

Well made and interesting---and also very, very unpleasant

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 8 July 2008]

Some who love this film will probably give me some "not helpful" votes for this review because I think this film isn't for most people. However, I really feel I must warn everyone up front that this movie, though well made, is also very unpleasant and probably NOT a film for most people--particularly not for kids and those who dislike very violent films.

The main character is at first pretty likable. He very reluctantly kills someone and feels awful about it. However, inexplicably, instead of being punished, he's congratulated and given present by his neighbors. It seemed the victim was a thug and the police seemed unable or unwilling to deal with him. Because of this positive notoriety, the "nice guy" is then approached to kill more "bad people"--as he'd be doing the community a favor and making a few bucks in the process! However, because he is still, at heart, a decent guy, he begins using drugs to cope with the guilt and very quickly the man isn't nice at all and the line between him and his targets becomes very blurred until he is the sort of person that people would pay someone to kill.

It's a very good film about the effects of violence on the perpetrator and it's very interesting to see him lose his soul. However, remember that this is a very violent film. There is a lot of blood, though it didn't seem especially gratuitous--but after all, the film is about contract killings. Also, the acting, writing and production were all very good.

This film is set in Brazil and it's yet another film that the Brazilian Tourist Board probably wishes they could make disappear! That's because many of the recent films from this nation that have made it to America have painted a horrific picture about life in their big cities (especially Rio and Sao Paulo). CITY OF GOD is about drug lords and lawlessness that control the poor sections of town. CENTRAL STATION is about the homelessness problem and urban violence. And, MAN OF THE YEAR is about an assassin. Talk about scaring away tourism!! I recently talked with a man from Brazil at length about these films and he swore that this is NOT how most of the country is--it IS safe and lawlessness isn't everywhere. However, after seeing these three films I am still pretty wary about visiting this beautiful nation.

Overall--recommended with some reservations.

A good start is only half the finish

[benjaoming · 5/10 · 11 July 2008]

or that's what we say in Denmark. Anyways, this movie starts out extremely well - actually like a masterpiece. There are great characters and some really creative twists amongst the characters that stand out as so unrealistic and it gives the movie a kind of surreal touch because it simply works. Also there's the whole social commentary thing going on - same theme as in La Zona. It's good for about two thirds.

But then the movie begins to act out like any of those Snatch-inspired shoot 'em up action movies. Trust me, the end really doesn't match the beginning and should be viewed with extreme caution! La Zona took things a little too far, but at least managed to keep its style. Man of the Year totally loses its style.

I'd like to hire Maiquel to kill my 5th grade teacher...

[freakyfreak05 · 22 February 2005]

...and my x-girlfriend and that guy that bumped into me on the train.

he was a cool, young, good looking dangerous guy and climbing to the top of a Brazilian ghetto. it was amazing how all the people swarmed around him, wanting to be with him, wanting to be friends, partners and lovers with the killer. it seemed like he was doing a service to the community at first, killing all these bad people. but quickly turned into a gun for hire. the only sign that he had feelings was displayed upon his pet pig and look what happened to him. if a guy like this enters your life...things will go really good for you for a time, but you'll be guaranteeing yourself a premature death too. and god bless the beautiful woman of Brazil. i still can't figure out who is prettier, Claudia abreu or Natalia lage. this is the first film i got through Film Movement. it's so cool to get these indies delivered to my house. i liked this movie a lot. i got to see a part of Brazil i will never know in real life.

Either kill or be killed. It was better to kill.

[lastliberal · 8/10 · 5 September 2009]

They loved this film in Miami, giving Murilo Benício a Best Actor award, and giving José Henrique Fonseca Best Director, and naming it the Best Film of the Brazilian Film Festival. It won other awards elsewhere, and had seven nominations.

Everything I have read says it is a true depiction of live on the periphery of Rio. It's not City of God, but more a Tarantino version of El Mariachi.

Máiquel (Benício) loses a soccer bet and has to dye his hair blond. He is dissed by Suel (Wagner Moura) over the hair, and he ends up killing him. He immediately goes from being an unemployed bum, to local hero.

Not only does he now have an income source, he has an amazing babe in Cledir (Cláudia Abreu). He also has an extra babe in Erica (Natália Lage), who was Suel's girl. Of course, she is only 15, so he plays nice.

Cledir immediately gets pregnant, and a wedding is planned. How can he resist that smile? Well, despite her obvious strong points, the fact that she cooked his pig was a definite negative.

He is hired as a hit man by a local dentist (Jorge Dória) to get revenge on the man who raped his daughter. Soon, he is taking jobs from the dentist's friends. Coked up and getting the feel for killing, he soon takes a different look at Erica.

Why the necessity of a hit man? Apparently the police are ineffective in the outlying areas. If you want justice, you get it yourself. Hell, the police go into partnership with him! But things are not going great on the home front. The relationship with Erica really messes thing up - and she's found religion! Lots of action, good music, and Murilo Benício was great.

Disturbing as much as anything

[opusv5 · 8/10 · 1 December 2008]

I saw this film last weekend on DVD and can't get it out of my mind. It seems a dark commentary with a dark humour on the violence that many experience and feel threatened by in certain parts of Brazilian cities. While the main character's becoming a neighbourhood hero through vigilante justice may be a caricature, the film speaks (through its characters) of the racial and social stereotyping that that may be a problem in Brazilian society. There is a scene where one of Dr. Carvalho's circle describes being burglarized by a nervous young black who claims to be committing the crime out of desperate poverty. In telling of this, Dr. Carvalho's companion treats this with contempt. But perhaps less poverty would mean less crime.While it's obviously very unpleasant being robbed, there was an unpleasant lack of empathy there. The police, too, seem just as bad as those they are supposed to jail. Anyway, while I won't say this was a better film that "Cidade de Dios," it affected me more.

No good

[dKolen · 1/10 · 25 December 2012]

After a self-indulgent, boring, 3 minute opening title sequence, I was given a boring, self-indulgent feature. I couldn't believe any of the character's motivations. Why was the main character inspired to get a gun and kill that gang banger? Why was there no retribution from his friends? Why did anyone write this piece of...?

I have no idea why this movie has received any acclaim, or any comparisons to City of God. It felt more like something I'd see on Mystery Science Theater 3000.

It's a not enjoyable, uninteresting, unbelievable tale of some guy who is driven to kill because he has weird looking blonde hair. The premise is lame, but the people around him are lamer. Maybe I'd have believed this more if the set-up was there, but there was none. Did not enjoy. At all.

Bring On The Night

[valis1949 · 13 October 2011]

THE MAN OF THE YEAR, directed by Jose Henrique Fonseca, is a peculiar addition to the Vigilante Film Genre. Set in a poor section of Rio de Janeiro, Maiquel is a man without direction, who murders a thug over an insult, becomes a hero in the community, and then morphs into a kind of 'Killer For Hire'. This populist gunman becomes the darling of the local business class who immediately realize his value as a protector of their interests. Usually films of this nature explore the justification for the anti-hero's actions, and show how his violent behavior changes his character. However, in this film the protagonist seems to be driven by indifference--he kills without compunction and doesn't have the slightest trace of a moral compass. Although Christianity is referenced numerous times by various characters in the film, THE MAN OF THE YEAR is really an exploration of a man who feels nothing when he kills, and is incapable of feeling guilt. Máiquel shows more emotion when his pet pig, Bill, is killed than when he guns down defenseless men. It's interesting to note that none of his killings are fair, or even justifiable-all of them are executions, and most of them are not even his idea. Maybe the director is trying to say that in the wretched favela of Rio, a horribly cruel system of justice is better than none at all.

Poor Bill!

[animosity-1 · 1/10 · 14 September 2006]

The Brazilian film 'The Man of the year'has a simple premise - an easy going young man (M, or a Brazilian name like Michael that I can't spell) accidentally kills a local gangster. As a result, he is hailed as a hero by his community. Comrades of the gangster begin looking for him to exact revenge, while requests for his help become stranger with each passing day. Deciding to embrace the average, M marries and takes a job in a pet shop. M likes animals; he has a pet pig called Bill. Shortly after, with the gangsters closing in, his new wife throws a small dinner party for friends. Herein begins my dislike of this film. I could not continue watching after M's wife (the psychotic freak) killed, baked and served Bill, M's pet piggy, as a meal for her dinner party. It's just so wrong. Killing any animal is wrong, IMHO, and Bill was a pet, not a meal. The scene disturbed me, and I'll never watch the rest of this film. I'm only glad I watched it on free-to-air TV, and didn't buy a ticket / DVD. 1/10.

Is this where non-spot advertising will lead us?

[thefifthofnovember · 15 August 2005]

Did anyone count the cans of coke in this movie?

Non-spot advertising, like in-script sponsoring, is a huge trend. Examples are when you see someone work on a Mac with the Apple logo real clear on screen, or someone eating Ben & Jerry's ice-cream.

The big brands are choosing for non-spot more and more. The choose to show us the brand in it's natural environment instead of putting it in the spotlights (e.g. like in radio en television commercials.)

When I watched this movie last night I really was disturbed by all the cans of coke that kept coming. Did anyone else notice this?

Non-spot: Yes, but in small amounts please! Don't give us an O.D. of advertising which will spoil the movie! I really don't understand that big enterprises, like Coca Cola, don't rails that 'too much' will only have negative effects on their corporate image.

This charming man

[Ferdinando · 28 May 2003]

I have seen this movie in its brazilian premiére. If I had to say that this motion picture is about how some people loose control of their lives and get led by the hands of fate I would not be misunderstood. Sometimes we are taken through strange ways that lead to an obvious ending. Sometimes we're not. Get ready to know some particular characters and know all the reasons that turned a simple man into a busy and respected personal killer that all the crime bosses wanted to hire. The well-built script is a real pearl and its rare sense of humour and nonsense leads the story to some unexpected and hilarious situations. Murilo Benício (Máiquel) plays his character in a very decent and talented way and so does Cláudia Abreu (Cledir). However the best performance must be credit to Natália Lage. She's really amazing as the essencially funny and delightful part of this bizarre love triangle. Although her former succeed carreer in supporting roles in several TV series she is the best surprise of this motion picture. Absolutely. At last but not at least: do not try to help falling in love with Máiquel's tiny little pig. I'm afraid it's impossible. Hey, Miss Piggy... I guess you got a date!