简介：OnlyfilmdirectedbyBraziliansongwriterCaetanoVelosoasksforunconventionalaudience ""OCinemaFalado"(couldbetranslatedas"TalkingCinema",aVERYappropriatetitle)isanexperimental,personal,unconventionalfilmthatbelongstothelineageoflate-60s'BrazilianUndergroundMovement("CinemaMarginal").It'sacollageofscenesofpeopletalking(long--ImeanENDLESSLYlong--dialogsandmonologues),dancing,reading,singing,partying.There'snoplot,continuity,fictionalcharacters;it'snotadocumentaryeither.It'smorelikefilmclipsofrandompersonalnotes.Asexpected,itsinterestvarieswildlydependingoneachindividualsequence,soit'salternatelypoetic,naturalistic,surrealistic,premeditated,improvised,scholarly,pop,sophisticated,boring,amateurish,accomplished,pretentious,naive,pedantic,silly–butalwayshugelyambitious. ""OCinemaFalado"istheonlyfeaturefilmdirectedbyoutstandingBraziliansinger/songwriterCaetanoVeloso,whoalsoproducedandwrotesomeofthetextsthatarespoken/readinthefilm(alongwithexcerptsbyThomasMann,GertrudeStein,Heidegger,GuimarãesRosaetc).ThefilmisCaetano'slong-nurtureddream,andhecombineshiscinephilia(heworkedbrieflyasafilmcriticinhisearlytwentiesbeforehebecameaprofessionalmusician)withhisinterestinLinguistics,Literature,VisualArtsandPhilosophy(hewastomajorinPhilosophyatBahiaUniversity,butdroppedout).AnundisputedcelebrityinBrazilandaGrammy-winner,heisundoubtedlyoneofthemostimportantandinfluentialartistsinBrazilianpopularmusicinthelast40years,havingsoldmillionsofrecordswhilemaintaininganinnovative,oftenrevolutionaryandconsistentlyhighqualitylevelinhissongs.Hisgeniusasasinger,composerandlyricistisonlycomparabletohisinfamousinabilitytotakecriticism(exceptthosefromhispersonalfriendsorintellectual"superiors"),hismachine-gunoutspokennessandindestructibleego,though"CinemaFalado"musthavebeenahardblow--itwasacriticalandbox-officedisaster,abortingCaetano'sfurthercinematicambitions(untilnow,thatis;themanisindomitable). ""OCinema..."openswithGodard-likecredits,whichisverymisleading,sinceCaetano'svisualtreatmentisessentiallyanti-Godardian:nointerwoveneditingofsoundandimage,novisualcomplexitytoheightendichotomies.Thefilmusesvisualsimplicitytoreach,hmm,LISTENINGcomplexity—verybecomingforamusician,afterall.Ifonecarestofinda"movieparentage"forthisfilm,onehastolookattheBrazilian"CinemaNovo"(NewWave)and"CinemaMarginal"(UndergroundWave)ofthe60s/70s.OnecanfeeltheinfluenceofGlauberRocha'sradicalexperimentsincinematicgrammar,butmorepalpablythepop/fragmentary/culturalmixboldnessofRogérioSganzerlaandthepoetic/lyrical/long-staticshotsofJulioBressane,whowere,conversely,highlyinfluencedbyCaetano'smusic.(ThethreecollaboratedinfilmsmadeinBrazilandinEngland,wheretheywereexiledforawhileintheearly70s). Thisisamovieofliteraryquotes,butbeware:thetextsbyGuimarãesRosa(fromhisground-breakingnovel"GrandeSertão:Veredas")andThomasMann(averyinterestingessayonmarriagevshomosexuality,recitedinGerman!)becomeFIFTEENminutemonologuesEACHwithapacethatwouldmakeBressonlooklike(Luc)Besson!Butthetextsaresogoodthatnomise-en-scènecouldreallywreckthem(thoughonewonderswhynotjustREADtheminabook!).TheliteraryqualityofthesemonologuescontrastwithCaetano'sownrathershallow(butequallylooong)dialogs.ThefirstoneisofNitzscheanflavoraboutthedialectsofthebeing(woodenlyrecitedbypoet/philosopherAntonioCíceroandactorSergioMaciel)andishandicappedbysoundproblems.Thesecondoneisaseriesofinconsequentialboutadesaboutcinema(i.e.Fellini'sgreat,Wenderssucksetc),spokenwithembarrassingamateurismbyCaetano'sex-wifeDedéandprettyboyFelipeMurray.Oh,andthere'satimidmonologueonpornographymouthedbyCaetano'ssecondwifePaulaLavigne.Thesemost"auteurish"momentsarealsothemostpretentiousandunsatisfying. Onapositivenote,twoundeniablehighlights:ReginaCasé'sgoofymockeryofFidelCastro'sbodylanguage,ascenewhichisherpersonalaccomplishment,notadirectorialachievement;andthebestsequenceofall--Caetano'sbrotherRodrigodancingtothesoundtrackvoiceandguitarofJoãoGilberto'sincomparablerenditionofJobim's"ÁguasdeMarço",agoodideaandareallymagicalmoment.FredAstairehimselfwouldbecharmed!! ""OCinemaFalado"gainsalotwiththeDVDrelease.Thescene-selectionbuttonishandyfortheimpatientviewerandCaetano'sabundantcommentaryextrasarehelpful,asheexplainstheideasbehindthefilm,lettingusunderstand(andthereforeenjoy)itmore...thoughnobodycanpossiblyenjoy"CinemaFalado"morethanCaetanohimself--watchhisDVDinterview:nowTHERE'Saself-confidentman("eusoufoda!!!!").Allofwhichgoestoprove,onceagain,thatanartistcanbe10feettallinhismainfieldandjustastrugglingalso-runnerinperfunctoryattempts.Excellent-songwriters-turned-ho-hum-filmmakersSergeGainsbourgandBobDylancankeepCaetanoverygoodcompany.Wecan'tallbeDaVinci!!!…