DVD Review - Lower City
Walter Salles (Central Station, The Motorcycle Diaries) produced this film which takes place in Salvador, Brazil. Sergio Machado, who has worked with Salles before, directed and co-wrote (with Karim Ainouz) the film.
The film starts off with exotic dancer Karinna (Alice Braga) looking for a lift to Salvador. She doesn't find a ride via car or truck but she does come across an offer to go there by boat. The boat is owned by lifelong friends Naldinho (Wagner Moura) and Deco (Lazaro Ramos). During their journey she has sex with both of them.
When they arrive in Salvador Karinna tries to go off on her own. But she finds herself getting more and more involved with both men. She can't make up her mind which one she likes better. It doesn't help that she is not just a dancer but a prostitute as well. I think that Machado wants us to see that it is possible to love more than one person at a time (but is it without complications?).
Before I go on I should mention that early in the film there is sequence that involves animal cruelty - cock fighting to be exact. I found this pointless and closed my eyes during those scenes. I think that perhaps Machado was trying to show us the type of violence these people (who are into cockfights) are capable of inflicting on one another. Happily, I found out during the making of featurette that all of the violence was fake and that no rooster was hurt. But I still think that this segment of the film could have been done differently.
Now back to the main theme of the film - which is can a woman break up a friendship between two longtime friends? I am certainly not going to reveal the answer to that question. You will have to see the film if you want to know.
Lower City doesn't really cover any new territory. We've seen this story many times before. The writing could be crisper and the characters could be better defined, especially Karinna. But the acting is good (especially Braga) and the chemistry between the actors is explosive. The sex scenes (and there are quite a few) are very, very steamy.
While this is not a great film I must say that I enjoyed watching it. I like it when sensuality is brought to any art form and this film (scenery, music, sex scenes) didn't disappoint in that area.
I recommend this film to those of you who want a treat for the senses.
The film starts off with exotic dancer Karinna (Alice Braga) looking for a lift to Salvador. She doesn't find a ride via car or truck but she does come across an offer to go there by boat. The boat is owned by lifelong friends Naldinho (Wagner Moura) and Deco (Lazaro Ramos). During their journey she has sex with both of them.
When they arrive in Salvador Karinna tries to go off on her own. But she finds herself getting more and more involved with both men. She can't make up her mind which one she likes better. It doesn't help that she is not just a dancer but a prostitute as well. I think that Machado wants us to see that it is possible to love more than one person at a time (but is it without complications?).
Before I go on I should mention that early in the film there is sequence that involves animal cruelty - cock fighting to be exact. I found this pointless and closed my eyes during those scenes. I think that perhaps Machado was trying to show us the type of violence these people (who are into cockfights) are capable of inflicting on one another. Happily, I found out during the making of featurette that all of the violence was fake and that no rooster was hurt. But I still think that this segment of the film could have been done differently.
Now back to the main theme of the film - which is can a woman break up a friendship between two longtime friends? I am certainly not going to reveal the answer to that question. You will have to see the film if you want to know.
Lower City doesn't really cover any new territory. We've seen this story many times before. The writing could be crisper and the characters could be better defined, especially Karinna. But the acting is good (especially Braga) and the chemistry between the actors is explosive. The sex scenes (and there are quite a few) are very, very steamy.
While this is not a great film I must say that I enjoyed watching it. I like it when sensuality is brought to any art form and this film (scenery, music, sex scenes) didn't disappoint in that area.
I recommend this film to those of you who want a treat for the senses.
posted by Film Fanatic | 3:00 PM
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