Name: Quando o Carnaval Chegar
Genre: Musical
Duration: 1 h 40 min
Rating: 6.1
Cast: Chico Buarque, Nara Leão, Maria Bethânia

An excellent album with the soundtrack, but the film...

The date is incorrect. The film is from 1972. Despite the script and dialogues bordering on nonsense, the interest remains due to the beautiful songs and the performance of Nara Leão, Maria Bethânia and Chico Buarque, singers rarely seen as actors.

An artist manager (Hugo Carvana, almost a Dennis Hopper's double in "Easy Rider") tries to honor the contract for a great show, but faces problems with his artists, who fall in love and lose interest in the tour. The organized crime boss, who hired the show, threatens the group by sending a henchman.

The title song alludes to the dictatorship that existed in Brazil at that time, lasting until 1986. For obvious reasons, such connections are almost nonexistent in the plot, which shows the artists in a relaxed and indifferent attitude to political issues.

Much of the track is by Chico Buarque, but there are also older songs by other composers, such as Assis Valente, Herivelto Martins, João de Barro, Tom Jobim, Vinícius de Morais, and Lamartine Babo. The album deserves a careful listening, it is very good! The film, not so much, may be of more interest to the singer's fans.

The ambience has elements of a mambembe caravan, with hippie touches, which do not always fit with the soundtrack.

Highlight for the performance of Antônio Pitanga ("Cuíca"), despite his stereotyped character and for the clips dedicated to the main songs.

Portuguese-language cinema, spanning Portugal, Brazil, and other Lusophone regions, focuses on history, cultural identity, and the struggles of ordinary people, often framed with poetic or allegorical storytelling. In Portugal, cinema has emphasized meditative pacing and philosophical depth, reflecting on memory and tradition. In Brazil, it has often been politically charged and socially vibrant, highlighting inequality and resilience while experimenting with popular and avant-garde forms.

Alexandre Rodrigues in City of God (2002)

The musical genre features stories that combine music, singing, dancing, acting, and often spoken dialogue to tell a story or convey a narrative. Musicals incorporate various elements of drama, music, and choreography to create a cohesive theatrical experience that engages audiences on multiple levels.

Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music (1965)

Music manager has to get three of his artists together for a special show, but soon finds it isn't an easy task.

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Quando o Carnaval Chegar

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