CULTURAL PULSE

September 1997

Plays,
movies &
best-seller books

PLAYS

Rio

Alcovas de Cetim (Satin Alcove) — Rebeca Fonda, an unrecognized great actress lives in a fantasy world. Written by Regiana Antonini, who won the Sharp prize as Brazil's 1996 best playwright. Ignês Vianna does the monologue. Cândido Damm directs.

Bonifácio Bilhões (Bonifácio Billion) — Comedy by world-renowned playwright João Bethencourt who also directs. How winning the lottery changes a man's life. It premiered in 1975. With Francisco Milani, Rogério Cardoso, and Elizângela.

Bravíssimo (Bravissimo) — Written by Regiana Antonini e Marcelo Saback, who is also the director, with Edwin Luisi, Luísa Thiré and Fábio Villa Verde. Fifteen years after leaving the man whom he loves to pursue a successful career, a maestro, now with AIDS, meets again his former lover. Teatro Villa-Lobos.

Cabaret Brazil - From Getúlio Vargas (1954) to the military dictatorship's cruellest year (1968), the history of Brazil on a cabaret stage. Musical from Wolf Maya and Cininha de Paula directed by Wolf Maya. With Rosa Marya, Serjão Loroza, Cláudia Lira, Adriana Garambone, and Danielle Winits.



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São Paulo

Antônio Mora Recebe Fernando Pessoa (Antônio Mora Receives Fernando Pessoa) Comic monologue from Marco Antônio Braz and Maurício Marques. A medium trying in vain to chanel the great Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa who also used the Antônio Mora pen name. Directed by Marco Antônio Braz. With Maurício Marques.

O Cordão Umbilical (The Umbilical Cord) — Comedy written by Mário Prata. The `70s' youth through the eyes of a prostitute, an actress and a student. Directed by Paolino Raffanti with Camila Raffanti.

As Sereias da Zona Sul (The South Side Mermaids) — Written by Miguel Falabella and Vicente Pereira. This is the successful ten-year-old besteirol (nonsense) comedy from Rio with Paulista clothes. Two actresses, Rosi Campos and Zezeh Barbosa, play 10 characters.

Um Espírito Baixou em Mim (A Spirit Possessed Me) — On the eve of his wedding, super macho man is possessed by a gay spirit who starts to flirt with the bride's brother. Comedy written by Ronaldo Ciambroni. With Walter Carvalho and Vitor Branco, who also directed.

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MOVIES

American films just released: Addicted to Love (A Lente do Amor), Anaconda (Anaconda), Face Off (A Outra Face), Big Night (A Grande Noite), Box of Moonlight (A Chave da Liberdade), For Roseanna (Para Roseanna), Gridlock'd (Na Contramão), In Love and War (No Amor e na Guerra), Kissed (Kissed: Cerimônia de Amor), The Last Supper (O Último Jantar), Looking for Richard (Ricardo III—Um Ensaio), Men in Black (MIB—Homens de Preto), Mr. Bean—The Ultimate Disaster Movie (Mister Bean—O Filme), Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (Romy e Michele), Speed 2: Cruise Control (Velocidade Máxima 2), That Old Feeling (Guerra dos Sexos)

Baile Perfumado (Fragrant Ball) — Brazil — 1996 — Directed by first time directors Paulo Caldas, 33, from Paraíba state and Lírio Ferreira, 32, from Pernambuco. The story of Lebanese Benjamin Abrahão, the only person who in the '30s was able to film bandit Lampião and his band. With Cláudio Mamberti (Benjamin), Luís Carlos Vasconcelos (Lampião), and Jofre Soares (Padre Cícero).

Ed Mort — Brazil — 1996 — Private eye Ed Mort (his name plays with the word morte, death in Portuguese) is hired by a suspicious wife to locate her husband — a master of disguise — when he disappears. Based on the comical characters created by writer Luís Fernando Veríssimo. Direct by Alain Fresnot. With Paulo Betti, Cláudia Abreu, Irene Ravache and Otávio Augusto.

Je T'aime Moi Non Plus (Paixão Selvagem) — France — 1976 — Directed by Serge Gainsbourg with Jane Birkin and Joe Dalessandro. Homosexual truckdriver falls in love with a young waitress.

O Que É Isso, Companheiro? (What's That, Pal?) — Brazil — 1996 — The story of the young guerrillas from the ALN (Ação Libertadora Nacional) and MR-8 (Movimento Revolucionário) who on September 4, 1969 kidnapped Charles Elbrick, the American ambassador in Brazil exchanging him for 15 political prisoners. Loosely based on Fernando Gabeira's book of same name. Directed by Bruno Barreto. With Alan Arkin, Pedro Cardoso, Fernanda Torres, Selton Mello, and Fernanda Montenegro.

O Sertão das Memórias (Backlands of Memories) — Brazil — 1996 — Antero Marques Araújo e Maria Emilce Pinto, parents of director José Araújo, show their social conflict in dealing with the constant drought in Brazil's backlands.

O Velho: A História de Luiz Carlos Prestes (The Old Man: The Luiz Carlos Prestes's Story) — Brazil — 1995 — Documentary based on a 1985 interview given by the founder of PCB (Partido Comunista Brasileiro—Brazilian Communist Party), Luiz Carlos Prestes (1898-1990). By Toni Venturi, narrated by actor Paulo José.

 

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BOOKS

Fiction

1. O Sócio

John Grisham

2. 3001: A Odisséia Final

Arthur C. Clarke

3. Violetas na Janela

Vera L. de Carvalho

4. O Diário de Um Magro

Mário Prata

5. O Mundo de Sofia

Jostein Gaarder

6. Asterix—A Galera de Obelix

Goscinny & Uderzo

7. O Paciente Inglês

Michael Ondaatje

8. O Monte Cinco

Paulo Coelho

9. Legítima Defesa

Jonathan Kellerman

10. O Xangô de Baker Street

Jô Soares

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• 
  Nonfiction
  1. Inteligência Emocional

  Daniel Goldman

  2. Terra

  Sebastião Salgado

  3. Viagem pela História do Brasil

  Jorge Caldeira

  4. Minutos de Sabedoria Simples

  C. Torres Pastorino

  5. Elegância—Como o Homem Deve Se Vestir

  Fernando de Barros

  6. Inteligência Emocional: A Arte de Educar Seus Filhos

  John Gottman

  7. Chic — Um Guia Básico de Moda e Estilo

  Glória Kalil

  8. O Princípio Dilbert

  Scott Adams

  9. Che Guevara—Uma Vida em Vermelho

  Jorge Castañeda

  10. Pequeno Dicionário Amoroso

  Torreno Werneck
   

  According to daily newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo