Chronically Unfeasible

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: A wonderfully thought-provoking glimpse into the darker side of Brazilian society. I really loved this non-linear narrative that reveals the complexity, passion and desperation of a country forever on the edge. I found myself thinking about it and recommending it to friends long after seeing it. My only complaint is that it sometimes felt a little didactic. Highly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: A wonderfully thought-provoking glimpse into the darker side of Brazilian society. I really loved this non-linear narrative that reveals the complexity, passion and desperation of a country forever on the edge. I found myself thinking about it and recommending it to friends long after seeing it. My only complaint is that it sometimes felt a little didactic. Highly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: Brazilian = Chaos???
Review: Brazilian tourist agencies don't have to sue the creators of "The Simpsons" when their own countrymates have enough ammunition for criticizing that nation. This movie is obviously a satire, both enlightening and heavy-handed, just like "Bamboozled," "A Day without a Mexican," or any of Michael Moore's films. The point of the film is to decry the treatment of the indigenous, the blacks, the poor, and the environment in Brazil. It focuses on numerous areas of the nation to show that the whole society is going you-know-where in a hand basket. As progressive as this might be, there are two main characters, both white men, who seem like they would be disaffected in any society. This film is very much Sartre goes south of the Equator. The two main characters just express their ennui; they never discuss their race, and possibly class-based, privilege. Besides the potentially progressive lament, this film does ask, "Can Brazil have a national identity when its people are so divided by class, race, and immigration status?" Furthermore, like the French "The Closet," this film tries its on stab at attacking political correctness. I'm not sure who was the audience: Brazilians or non-Brazilians. Regardless, I highly doubt this would make Brazilians change their nation's wrongs and it certainly wouldn't make non-Brazilians want to visit. The title expresses the ennui and lethargy in a quick phrase. Anyone who is expecting a modern-day "Black Orpheus" from this film will be greatly disappointed, but possibly made aware.

Rating:
Summary: Brazil laid bare
Review: Cronically Unfeasible really puts Brazil under the microscope to expose racism, environmental issues, class issues and basically every social issue that they could cram into this little gem of a movie. Harshly critical of Brazilian society, the movie is offensive on many levels as the director probably intended. It jumps from place to place throughout Brazil in order to give you the most comprehensive picture of the vastness and diversity present in Brazil, both geographic and cultural. I highly recommend this film to anyone who is interested in understanding the Brazilian psyche.