In the bridge programming there is also “Dona Lurdes – O Filme”, cinematic continuation of the telenovela “Amor de Mãe”
The new giant monster movie “Gozilla & Kong” has the biggest release of the week, with 10 releases across a wide variety of genres for the long weekend. Among the highlights are national comedies, including “Dona Lurdes – O Filme”, the continuation of the soap opera “Amor de Mãe” and a documentary on the album “Clube da Esquina”, considered the best music album Brazilian.
GODZILLA AND KONG – THE NEW EMPIRE
Former enemies become allies in the sequel to “Godzilla vs. Kong” (2021), with Godzilla answering Kong’s call to help him face a new threat, which is decimating his underground kingdom. With the plot spreading giant monsters across several international postcards, the franchise arrives even before Madonna hits the beaches of Rio de Janeiro.
The film reveals that Kong is not the last of his kind. An entire tribe of giant apes survives in the underground world discovered in the previous film, including a “mini-Kong”. However, an even larger and more powerful ape is wiping out the others to establish himself as king of the Kong race. And Kong isn’t strong enough to stop him, which serves as the impetus for Godzilla’s entry into the story.
The production is once again directed by Adam Wingard, former director of “Godzilla vs. Kong”, and features Dan Stevens (“Legion”) as the new human protagonist, as well as Fala Chen (“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings “) and the returns of Brian Tyree Henry, Rebecca Hall and Kaylee Hottle, seen in the previous film – which grossed $468 million at the global box office, despite being released simultaneously on streaming in the US.
DONA LURDES – THE FILM
The comedy revives the character of Regina Casé in “Amor de Mãe” (2019), to show what happened to Dona Lourdes a year after the end of the telenovela. Regina Casé returns to the character who now faces a new phase in her life. Her five children followed their own path and she rediscovered herself as a woman, after years dedicated to motherhood. The story explores “empty nest syndrome” and shows that a mother’s life is not just about her children.
The cast also includes Chay suede, Nanda Costa, Juliano Cazarré, Thiago Martins and Jéssica Ellen, who return to play Lurdes’ children, as well as Enrique Diaz in the role of Durval. To top it off, Arlete Salles, Evandro Mesquita and Maria Gal play new roles in the story, which also features very special appearances from presenter Ana Maria Braga and none other than singer Roberto Carlos.
The plot is based on the book “Diário da Dona Lurdes”, which the author Manuela Dias launched after the soap opera “Amor de Mãe”, the screenplay is by Claudio Torres Gonzaga (“Os Parças”) and the direction is handled by the same director of the telenovela, Cristiano Marques.
TWO IS TOO MANY IN ORLANDO
Filmed in the parks of the Universal complex in Orlando, the sponsored tourist film revolves around João (Eduardo Sterblitch), an adult passionate about films, superheroes and amusement parks, who is about to realize his childhood dream: to encounter the Universal parks of Orlando, Obviously. However, on the eve of the trip, João’s boss asks him to take his son, Carlos Alberto, an eleven-year-old boy who behaves like a middle-aged executive, on the same flight and hand him over to his father in the United States. States. When Carlos Alberto’s father doesn’t show up to pick him up, João is forced to take care of the child to save his job, taking him on a publicity tour for the film.
The comedy directed by Rodrigo Van Der Put (“Together and Tangled”) also stars Pedro Burgarelli, Luana Martau and Anderson Di Rizzi.
MATERNAL INSTINCT
Anne Hathaway (“Witches’ Coven”) and Jessica Chastain (“X-Men: Dark Phoenix”) are close rivals in the American remake of the Belgian thriller of the same name, released in 2018. The film is directed by Belgian Olivier Masset -Depasse, who filmed the original story and makes his Hollywood debut, after his film won nine Magritte Awards (Belgium’s Oscar), including Best Film and Best Director.
The plot begins with Alice (Chastain) and Celine (Hathaway) as best friends in the 1960s. Both live picture-perfect lives in the suburbs, with manicured lawns, successful husbands and children of the same age. However, the harmony of this seemingly perfect life is suddenly destroyed after a tragic accident. Guilt, suspicion and paranoia come into play to break the bond between the friends, who become rivals and begin a psychological battle, in which each of them’s maternal instincts reveal their darkest side.
American critics considered the remake superfluous and mediocre (40% on Rotten Tomatoes) compared to the original production – which is somewhat of a rule when it comes to American remakes of productions from other countries, despite what the Academy thinks of the overrated “The Deceased” (2006).
THE MATRIARCH
The first feature film directed by New Zealand actor Matthew J. Saville (“X: The Mark of Death”) is set in rural New Zealand in the 1990s and tells the story of the relationship between rebellious teenager Sam (George Ferrier, from “Sweet Tooth”) and his vitriolic grandmother, an alcoholic with an unconventional past, whom he had never met before. The young man reluctantly goes to live with his elderly relative after his father’s death. Totally different, they have a tense relationship. However, as they spend more time together, they begin to understand each other and form an unexpected bond.
The film explores themes of grief, family, and finding connection in the midst of pain and isolation. Veteran Charlotte Rampling’s (“Dune”) performance as the hardened but deeply emotional grandmother is the greatest quality of the production, which has a 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
ALL OR NOTHING
The Franco-Belgian drama centers on Sylvie (Virginie Efira, of “Benedetta”), a mother who lives in Brest with her two children, Sofiane and Jean-Jacques. One night, Sofiane is injured while she is alone in the apartment. Social services are alerted and place the son in a shelter while investigations are carried out. Convinced that she is the victim of a miscarriage of justice, Sylvie begins a fight to get her son back. During this battle, she faces administrative and judicial bureaucracy, showing the difficulties faced by a single mother who has to work.
Director Delphine Deloget’s first feature debuted at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, was awarded at the Deauville Film Festival and has an 83% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
NOTHING WILL BE LIKE BEFORE – THE MUSIC OF THE CLUBE DA EQUINA
The documentary on the creation of “Clube da Esquina”, considered the best Brazilian album of all time, has already been applauded at the Rio Festival and the Sao Paulo Exposition. The 1972 double album, the result of a collaboration between Milton Nascimento, Lô Borges and a group of talented musicians from Minas Gerais, ended up becoming one of the most influential albums in Brazilian music, blending elements of folk, rock and jazz with the rich tradition of ‘MPB.
The genesis of the production were informal musical meetings that took place in the Santa Tereza neighborhood of Belo Horizonte, where artists such as Beto Guedes, Toninho Horta and the brothers Márcio and Lô Borges met to share ideas and create music. From these meetings was born “Clube da Esquina”, a name later adopted for the album, a poetic and sonic journey that reflects on friendship, love, nostalgia and social issues.
The film explains the context of the album’s creation with never-before-seen archival footage, concert scenes from the time, and conversations with the musicians involved in the recording of songs such as “Tudo Que Você Podia Ser”, “O Trem Azul”, “Cravo and Canela” and “Nuvem Cigana”, with the participation of Milton Nascimento and Lô Borges, adding stories and curiosities about the conception of the album that revolutionized MPB. Directed by Ana Rieper (“Vou Rifar meu Coração”)
RISE AND FALL – JOHN GALLIANO
The fashionista production explores the career of iconic designer John Galliano. The British documentary traces Galliano’s fashion degree from Central Saint Martins University in London to his rise to become creative director of one of the world’s biggest fashion brands, Dior. Furthermore, it also highlights his glory days with Givenchy and his struggles, such as drug addiction and the pressure to produce fashion on an industrial scale.
It is directed by Kevin Macdonald, who has directed documentaries about Bob Marley and Whitney Houston, but is best known for fictional works such as the political dramas “The Last King of Scotland” (2006) and “The Mauritanian” (2021), and involves the participation of several fashion personalities, including models Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell.
JANGO IN EXILE
The documentary work portrays the 12 years of former president João Goulart, better known as Jango, during the period spent in Uruguayan and Argentine territory. The film directed by Pedro Isaias Lucas begins with Jango traveling to Montevideo, after the military coup that established the dictatorship in Brazil in 1964, and ends with his controversial death in the Argentine province of Missiones, in December 1976. The film offers an intimate and detailed look at the challenges Jango faced during his political exile and the circumstances of his death.
The official cause of his death was a heart attack. However, there are controversies and theories that he may have been poisoned as part of Operation Condor, an initiative that brought together several military regimes in South America in the 1970s.
BLACK BAT
The documentary recalls the controversial figure of Paulo César Farias, better known as PC Farias, who obsessed national politics in the 90s. PC was treasurer of the former president Fernando Collor de Mello and was directly involved in the process which culminated in the impeachment of Collor, shaking public opinion. he recently restored Brazilian democracy, before being assassinated. The new film by the duo Chaim Litewski and Cleisson Vidal (who worked together on “O Golpe de Ouro”) features the participation of dozens of people who knew and lived with Farias, abundant documentation and exclusive archive material, which reveals the complexity of Brazilian politics, with particular attention to the relationships between capital, power, family ties and organized crime.
Source: Terra
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
