Uncritical Bio-Pic Takes Loving Look at Musical Career of Legendary Brazilian Singer
Maria Bethania is a legendary Brazilian singer whose siren call has stirred the souls of her fellow countrymen for decades. Now in her sixties, the gracefully-aging diva proves here that she is still capable of delivering a ballad in heartrending fashion. The performance-driven picture features plenty of concert footage, offset by interviews with friends, family (including her brother, renowned composer Caetano Veloso) and Maria herself.
The full-throated contralto's career began in 1964 and has endured long enough for her to release 30 albums thusfar. The movie amounts to the cinematic equivalent of a fanzine, a delightfully melodic montage during which Maria meanders through many classic hits from her extensive repertoire.
Offstage, Maria is at her best while sharing her feelings about her music, such as when she describes samba as "sadness dancing. That is the very essence of samba." Equally evocative are the moments when she talks about the genre's history, describing it as "a black people's lament." Acknowledging a debt owed to African slaves, she goes on to say that "We were colonized by the Portuguese, but our heritage, the richness of our music, is black."
And to think I always blamed it on the bossa nova.
Very Good (3 stars)
Unrated
In Portuguese with subtitles.
Running time: 82 minutes
Studio: ArtMattan Productions
To see a trailer of Maria Bethania: Music Is Perfume,
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