December 1997

Plays,
movies &
best-seller books

PLAYS

RIO

De Cabral a F.H.! (From Cabral do F.H.)—A surrealistic take on Pedro Álvares Cabral—whose discovery of Brazil has been put in doubt recently—and his return to present Brazil to check what has happened to the so-called Terra de Santa Cruz (Land of the Holy Cross). The F.H. of the title is short for President Fernando Henrique Cardoso. Cabral is mugged soon after arriving. He will soon meet Grande Othelo and Carmen Miranda. Fernando Reski wrote, directs and plays Cardoso with Fernando Reski, Luciana Lago, and Oswaldo Senrra.

Desobediência Civil: Manhã É Quando Estou Acordada e Há uma Aurora em Mim: (Civil Disobedience: Morning Is When I'm Awake and There Is an Aurora in Me)— A monologue by Denise Stoklos in the minutes before the beginning of the new millenium. She uses ideas from the American writer Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), the pope of civil disobedience.

Escola de Mulheres (School for Women)—Retelling of the classic Jean Baptiste Molière (1622-1673) comedy. Directed by Eduardo Wotzik, freely adapted by Domingos Oliveira. Play uses repentistas (improviser) to give popular tone to text. With Clemente Viscaíno, Júlio Levi, Jaime Leibovitch, Luciana Fróes, Marcelo Bosschart, and Andréa Neri.

Meninas Exemplares (Model Girls)— Comedy telling the tribulations of six teenagers getting ready to enter the new millenium. Written and directed by Maria Luísa Prates. With Armanda Pilão and Camila Forti.

Graal: Retrato de um Fausto Quando Jovem (Graal: Portrait of Faust as a Young Man)—Written by avant-gardist poet Haroldo de Campos and directed by controversial Gerald Thomas. A mix of discursive and poetic language. Faust is a poet dealing with Mephistopheles. With Bete Coelho.

A Partilha (The Partition)—After five years of sold-out shows in Rio and in several other Brazilian cities, the Miguel Falabella's play about four sisters humorously arguing about inheritance, is back in Rio, inaugurating the Teatro Miguel Falabella in the NorthShopping. With Rosamaria Murtinho, Nívea Maria, Cláudia Alencar, and Magaly Evangelista

Salve Amizade (Hello, Buddy)—A good-humored portrait of the forty-something generation. Two women decide to rekindle their adolescent passions just to find out how time has been cruel to their former leading men. Written and directed by Flávio Marinho. With Louise Cardoso, Cristina Pereira, Marcelo Saback, Paulo César Grande, and Alice Borges.

Sexo Veríssimo (Veríssimo Sex)—Comedy by Gaúcho (from Rio Grande do Sul state) writer and journalist Luiz Fernando Veríssimo. A selection of crônicas published in newspapers and magazines. Paula Novaes and Isaac Bernart interpret 20 different characters.

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SÃO PAULO

Albert Einstein—Einstein's life story from his high-school days to his escape from Nazism. Comedy. Written and directed by Denise Martha. With Daniela Cardoso and Alexandro Juns.

O Assassinato do Anão (The Dwarf's Murder)—Comedy about a circus whose presence in a little town disturbs the local elite. Written by Plínio Marcos. Directed by Marco Antônio Rodrigues.

Sinfonia de uma Noite Inquieta ou Livro do Desassossego (Symphony of a Restless Night or Book of Disquietude)—Based on work of Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa (1888-1935). Experimental project adapted and directed by William Pereira presented as a "stage poem". With Adriana Mendonça and Patrícia Zuppi.

Anchieta, Nossa História (Anchieta, Our History)—A celebration of the so-called Apostle of Brazil, Jesuit priest José de Anchieta, on the 400th anniversary of his death. By Alzira Andrade and Alceste Madella. Directed by Denise del Vecchio. With Daniela de Vecchi and Klever Dey Ravanelli.

Jordan—A monologue by Shirley Jones, who in prison recalls better times before the day she killed her child. Written by Anna Reynolds and Moira Buffini. Reynolds in 1986 killed her own mother with a hammer. Directed by Mário Bortolotto with Lucimara Martins.

O Princípio do Avesso—Dom Casmurro (The Opposite Principle—Mr. Peevish)—Based on Machado de Assis's (1839-1908) classic novel Dom Casmurro (1900). In a new twist, it starts with Bentinho suspecting his wife's (Capitu) fidelity and ends up with their first kiss. Written by Marici Salomão. Directed by Antônio do Valle. With Vicentini Gomes.

Prova de Fogo (Trial by Fire)—The story of the 1968 invasion of University of São Paulo's Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras by the police, during the military dictatorship. By Consuelo de Castro, directed by Abílio Tavares, with Alexandre Lima, Álvaro Franco and Marinê Pereira.

Tudo Blue no Mercosul (All's Blue on Mercosul)—In a vaudeville-style of theater, the play has some two dozen sketches peppered with music, dance and humor. Written by Sebastião Apolônio and Márcia Polachini. Directed by Sebastião Apolônio. With Maria Alcina and Alfred Estrella. Directed by Sebastião Apolônio.

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MOVIES

American films just released: The edge (No Limite), Excess baggage (Excesso de Bagagem), Fire Down Below (Ameaça Subterrânea), Kiss the girls (Beijos Que Matam), Total eclipse (Eclipse de uma Paixão), Truth or consequences (Últimas Conseqüências), This World, Then the Fireworks (Os Pervertidos), A smile like yours (Um Sorriso Como o Seu), Beverly Hills Ninja (Um Ninja da Pesada)

Anahy de Las Missiones (Anahy From the Missions)—Brazil—1997—Drama during the Farroupilha Revolution (1835-1845) in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. A family survives during the war by looting dead officers. Directed by Sérgio Silva with Araci Esteves, Marcos Palmeira, Giovanna Gold, and Fernando Alves Pinto.

O Cineasta da Selva (The Jungle's Filmmaker)—Brazil—1997—Documentary about Silvino Santos, the first Brazilian filmmaker to shoot a movie in the Amazon. Directed by Aurélio Michiles with José de Abreu and Denise Fraga.

Navalha na Carne (Razor in the Flesh)—Brazil—1997—Veludo, a homosexual is accused of stealing, when prostitute Neusa Sueli's money disappear. Adapted from Plínio Marcos's play of same name. Directed by Neville D'Almeida, with Vera Fischer, Jorge Perugorría, and Carlos Loffler.

Miramar—Brazil—1997—Directed by Júlio Bressane, with João Rebello, Diogo Vilela, Giulia Gam, Louise Cardoso, and Fernanda Torres. Dreams and frustrations of a teenager.

Un Héros Très Discret (Um Herói Muito Discreto) A comedy about a fake hero from the French resistance after the World War II. Directed by Jacques Audiard with Mathieu Kassovitz, Anouk Grinberg, and Sandrine Kiberlain.

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).

East Side Story (Assim Dançou o Comunismo)—Germany—1996—Documentary on the musical movies from East Europe. Directed by Dana Ranga with Chris Doerk, Erich, Guscho, and Helmut Hanke.

Guerra de Canudos (Canudos War)—Brazil—1996—A family torn between the Republican army and the followers of Antônio Conselheiro at the end of the last century in the Bahia state backlands. Directed by Sérgio Rezende with Cláudia Abreu, Paulo Betti, Marieta Severo, and José Wilker.

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.

A Ostra e o Vento (The Oyster and the Wind)—Brazil— 1996—Film was shown at recent Venice Film Festival. The fantasies of a girl who lives with her father in an island after she hears about a sailor's adventures. Directed by Walter Lima Jr. with Leandra Leal and Fernando Torres.

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.

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BOOKS

FICTION

1. O Plano Perfeito, Sidney Sheldon. Record, 300 p. R$ 25.

2. O Sócio, John Grisham. Rocco, 416 p. R$ 25.

3. Todos os nomes, José Saramago. Companhia das Letras, 280 p. R$ 20.

4. O Terceiro Gêmeo, Ken Follet. Rocco, 524 p. R$ 28.

5. Ícone, Frederick Forsyth. Record, 560 p. R$25.

6. O Livro das Virtudes para Crianças, William J. Bennett. Nova Fronteira, 112 p. R$19.

7 A Casa do Poeta Trágico, Carlos Heitor Cony. Companhia das Letras, 184 p. R$18.

8. Novas Comédias da Vida Privada, Luís Fernando Veríssimo. L&PM, 344p. R$21,60.

9. A Águia e a Galinha, Leonardo Boff. Vozes, 206 p. R$16.

10. A Versão dos Afogados, Luís Fernando Veríssimo. L&PM, 366 p. R$22.

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NONFICTION

1. Verdade Tropical, Caetano Veloso. Companhia das Letras, 524 p. R$27.

2. Ernesto Geisel, Celso Castro e Maria Celina D'Araújo. FGV, 496p R$28.

3. Sanduíches de Realidade, Arnaldo Jabor. Objetiva, 280 p. R$22.

4. Como Educar Seus Pais, Grupo Obrigado Esparro. Objetiva, 152 p. R$12.

5. As Sete Leis Espirituais do Sucesso, Deepak Chopra. Best Seller 104 p. R$13,50.

6. Inteligência Emocional, Daniel Goleman. Objetiva, 376 p. R$34,50.

7. Cazuza: Só as Mães São Felizes, Lucinha Araújo. Globo, 397 p. R$27.

8. Confissões, Darcy Ribeiro. Companhia das Letras, 590 p. R$31.

9. Coisas Que Toda Garota Deve Saber, Samantha Rugen. Melhoramentos, 104 p. R$7,90.

10. Tostão, Lembranças, Opiniões e Reflexões Sobre o Futebol, Tostão. Melhoramentos, 168 p. R$19.

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SELF-HELP/
NEW AGE

1. Meu Anjo, Fausto Oliveira. Seame, 210 p. R$18.

2. Almas Gêmeas, Mônica Buonfiglio. Oficina Cultural Esotérica, 161 p. R$18.

3. O Sucesso É Ser Feliz, Roberto Shinyashiki. Gente, 198 p. R$20.

4. Minutos de Sabedoria, Torres Pastorino. Vozes, 280 p. R$3,80.

5. Violetas na Janela, Vera Lúcia M. de Carvalho. Petit, 139 p. R$9,50.

According to Rio's daily Jornal do Brasil.