Sunday, June 20, 2010
Paulista: Modern Romance without the Samba
Note: this is another review of "trans-themed" film from the Frameline 34 Film Festival in San Francisco.
http://skipthemakeup.blogspot.com/2010/06/paulista-modern-romance-without-samba.html (http://skipthemakeup.blogspot.com/2010/06/paulista-modern-romance-without-samba.html)
Paulista (original title: Quanto Dura o Amor?) is both one of the largest thoroughfares in Sao Paulo and a slang term for natives from that very urban metropolis. Marina arrives from the burbs wanting to be an actress. She shares an apartment in a high rise with her sometime boyfriend's former roommate, Suzana, an attorney. Also in the building is schlubby Jay, a poet who meets the newcomer on her second day in the city, and takes her to a bar/music club. Unfortunately for Jay, Marina only has eyes for the charismatic (and very likely bat-->-bleeped-<- crazy) Justine, a tall, moody singer (who sings a great cover of Radiohead's High & Dry... there is no samba in this film). Marina and Justine are soon involved and you suspect this relationship is too charged to last long. Meanwhile, the respectable attorney Suzana is approached by another attorney, Gil, and they connect over sushi and talk of karate and cats. Finally, Jay is hopelessly smitten with prostitute Michelle, not quite getting that she's strictly in it for the money.