Ezmae Chang
This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
heybabyxxx
Tom Zé is a very creative Brazilian musician, whose work is unique, very sophisticated and one that deserves a great deal of attention (some have called him "the Brazilian Frank Zappa", not because they sound alike _they don't!_, but because the two of them studied classical music but composed popular music). Unfortunately, this documentary (that follows a somewhat cowardly and lazy trend in the contemporary Brazilian "film industry", documentaries about popular musicians _they're cheap and easy to make and have an almost guaranteed audience) fails to be as ambitious and rigorous as the artist it portraits.Basically, we see Tom Zé on tour in Europe (France, Italy and Switzerland), to show us how he works with his band (with a great deal of improvisation _his concerts frequently seem like rehearsals, which sometimes is fun, sometimes not) and his wife and manager, but also to rub in our faces that an anti-commercial and under-appreciated artist from the backlands of a poor country in South America can "make it" (the tone is obviously hagiographic).Then there is a quick (and therefore failed) attempt to biograph him. Then he is shown as a misunderstood genius and the film tries to answer why it took so long for him to get his well-deserved (although not big) recognition (citing old grudges that are unexplained) but, again, it fails to do so. Basically, it is a very poor, confusing and disappointing film _very differently from Mr. Zé's music. Sadly, it doesn't do him and his work justice. But check out his albums, though _specially his masterpiece, "Estudando o Samba".
