At bottom a remake of Black Orpheus, but done from the inside rather than from the perspective of an entranced tourist: more knowledgeable, more knowing, more genuinely Brazilian. The result is more a West Side Story-ish blend of musical fantasy and social consciousness, less a Carmen Miranda-ish bonbon. The color is eye-popping, and more than a match for the 1959 French film. The music, on the other hand, is decidedly less than a match, as well as forty years too late to ride the worldwide samba wave. And the precharted course of the story, as familiar as your daily commute, becomes a built-in drag. All in all, a wash, but worth a look. Directed by Carlos Diegues. (1999) — Duncan Shepherd
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