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Like brothers we share
Criminally underrated actress Diane Lane delivered an earnest and exceptionally poignant performance - perhaps her best ever - as Richard Gere's wife who gives in to temptation and engages in an affair with devastating and tragic consequences in Adrian Lyne's cautionary tale Unfaithful. This movie managed to successfully blend moving drama and eroticism which, unfortunately, is something of a rarity in American mainstream today, and most contemporary, self-proclaimed 'erotic dramas/thrillers' are a dime a dozen and usually not worthy of this label. When these efforts fail miserably to generate much interest it's mainly because they're too polished and thus appear uncomfortably artificial, their storylines are likewise often mechanical, severely unbelievable and lacking anything remotely resembling true heart and soul, - and in reality when push comes to shove in regards to revealing 'the bare facts' they often - somewhat ironic - prove extremely bashful.
Frankly speaking, what's missing is large cojones, i.e. considerably more edge, bite, attitude and raw power and one of the best places to find that these days is arguably in Latin American films, and over the last couple of years audiences have been blessed with sizzling, entertaining and engaging gems such as Perder Es Cuestión de Método from Colombia, Los Debutantes from Chile and Y tu mamá también from Mexico. I'm not able to determine whether it has something to do with excessive heat, the humidity in the air or a more relaxed attitude towards the human form in general, - whatever the reason, the actors and actresses in these parts of the world frequently doff their duds in front of the camera (which I by no means consider a prerequisite, but I don't mind it, either) - and seem to have no qualms about it. Don't let this open-mindedness deceive you, though, with or sans clothes they're exceptionally gifted thespians.
Which is certainly a predominant quality of the searing, audacious Brazilian movie Lower City. Produced by one Walter Salles (director of Academy Award Nominated Central Station and the ethereal, immensely beautiful and spellbinding Behind the Sun) and directed with verve and nerve by Sérgio Machado, it's an intense crime drama filled to the brim with red-hot passion, blistering sensuality, tender emotions, jealousy and obsession which derives much of its power from the often sumptuous, striking cinematography but in particular from the scalding chemistry between the three charismatic and very convincing lead performers. The colored Deco and white Naldinho (Lázaro Ramos and Wagner Moura respectively, both previously seen in Hector Babenco's grand Carandiru) are two usually out-of-work guys at the bottom of the social ladder who get by carrying out various delivery jobs on a small cargo boat which they co-own. Since childhood it's always been just the two of them, - they've always stuck together, been by each other's side and never let anything or anyone come between them. This harmony, however, is soon going to be upset by the arrival of that very well-known third party.
One day they meet the young, beautiful prostitute and stripper Karinna (Alice Braga who starred in the breathtaking tour-de-force - and multiple prize winner - City of God) who needs a lift and naturally the two guys are more than happy to accommodate her and give her a ride on their boat - on the condition that both of them receive a different kind of ride in return, taking turns 'getting to know' her a little bit better. Over the next couple of days the inseparable twosome becomes a joyous, swinging threesome and at first this particular arrangement seems to work out just fine, however, as Karinna says, 'you two are for fun, but I also have to make a living', but seeing her go off with different men every night suddenly becomes increasingly difficult for the two compadres - and the same goes for their mutual sharing of Karinna. Both want exclusive rights to her, so in order to get her away from the prostitution milieu and provide for her financially, both set out to get steady jobs, but while Deco has his principles and wants to go clean, Naldinho immediately strikes into the criminal path. And caught in the eye of the storm is Karinna who's torn down the middle as she sincerely loves both men.
Granted, this set-up with two men competing over one woman has been seen countless times before, but Lower City possesses a potency and explosive energy that sets it heads and shoulders above many similarly themed melodramas. By letting the story play out against gritty, poverty stricken and crime infested slum locations where death is lurking behind every corner, director Machado achieves a harsh authenticity which lends the already passionate love story an even higher level of tension and immediacy - practically every frame is simmering with latent danger and thus even the intimate encounters, e.g. Karinna's pulse-pounding, feverishly steamy striptease act as well as her scintillating back-alley tryst with Deco, serve to establish the three main characters as well as heat up the conflict between them. A premature cockfight (between a black and a white hen) is a clever precursor of things to come, and after a crucial plot point occurs in the last reel we know that a violent confrontation is inevitable, only the outcome is uncertain and Machado deserves credit for the daringly unconventional, but no less satisfying, denouement.
Seeing that this hardboiled tale takes place among criminals and prostitutes the viewers are often confronted with various moral dilemmas, - this is the way it should be, and fortunately the director has chosen to portray his protagonists in a non-judgmental way. In his vision there isn't only black or white, - yes, some questionable decisions are made (by one person in particular) as the story unfolds but these people here have also been dealt some pretty lousy cards in life from day one, for them every day is about survival and they are just trying to make the most of the far from always advantageous situations they're faced with. And by courtesy of three outstanding talents these main characters are portrayed with all of their flaws and virtues so that they emerge as real, living and breathing people we want to care for. Much of the film's impact depends on whether you buy into the depth and strength of Naldinho and Deco's friendship, which is impossible not to due to Moura and Ramos' strong, gripping performances, and as Karinna the stunning revelation Alice Braga (niece of Sonia Braga) admirably manages to endow a sensual, erotically charged role with tenderness, quiet emotion and vulnerability. Kudos.
Not that we need any, but for those still in doubt (shame on you) Lower City is yet another proof that 'World Cinema' doesn't necessarily have to be synonymous with static, academic and incomprehensible filmmaking solely aimed at the intellectual circuits, but is also capable of delivering high-powered, exhilarating, intoxicating and engrossing experiences for a massive, wide audience - with all of the vital, artistic values intact. Backed up by an inciting, pulsating and sultry soundtrack Machado's film (his feature-length debut, no less) is easily one of the strongest contenders for 'Most exotic, arousing and riveting drama of 2005'. The heat is on. 
René Pedersen, August 18th, 2006
Picture: 8/10
As it should be with all new films Lower City is virtually free from dust, scratches or other kinds of print damage, - if there are in fact some imperfections present they'd have to be negligible and I certainly didn't notice any. While not exuberant, the colors definitely look very vivid and naturalistic, the skin tones are likewise well rendered and positively lifelike, and just as pleasing are the consistently deep blacks and bright whites. A couple of the darker scenes (the ones in the night club and the striptease joint, to be exact) sometimes exhibit a fair amount of grain, but this is the way they're supposed to look and apart from that sharpness as well as the level of details stay strong throughout. On occasion slight edge enhancement is evident, compression artifacts, on the other hand, were exemplary absent. The film is presented in an anamorphically enhanced 1.78:1 aspect ratio. A very solid transfer indeed.
It should be noted, however, that the subtitles on this release are fixed and non-removable. I firmly believe that buyer always ought to have the possibility to watch the main feature with or without them, however, at the very least the ones provided here are pleasing to look at (white and outlined by a black line) and easy to read, but most importantly - they're not burnt-in.
Sound: 7/10
The only audio option available is the original Portuguese language version, and who would want it any other way? Regrettably, instead of presenting Lower City with the preferable Dolby Digital 5.1 mix (this is, after all, a recent movie) Drakes Avenue has decided to provide us with a less desirable and slight - but still quite effective - downmixed 2.0 surround soundtrack. There's not a lot of movement between the front speakers, practically all of the sound comes from the center channel but whenever there's music the left and right speakers come to life in style, as do the surrounds which are primarily (or rather only) used for ambience. These sequences also benefit largely from the subwoofer which adds a great deal of punch to the proceedings. Overall a quite respectable soundtrack - clear, dynamic and without any distortion or hissing whatsoever, and that always counts for something. If only Drakes Avenue had gone that extra mile.
Extras: 2/10
Inside the DVD are some brief but informative liner notes featuring a biography of and an interview with the director Sérgio Machado where he offers some insight into his inspirations for the script and the message of the story, his choice of actors, the characters they portray and why he decided to shoot the movie with a small crew. Besides that the only other extra is the original theatrical trailer (1.19 min.) - which should be standard issue on every DVD-release. It would have been nice with something like, say, a documentary containing interviews with the three appealing leads.
Final thoughts:
This is exactly my kind of movie. Tough and realistic, sweaty and sexy, tense and exciting - and with a big, passionate and human heart beating underneath it all, Lower City has all the right qualities and headed by a stellar cast it represents Latin American cinema at its most vibrant and life affirming. The extras on this release are wanting, but I'm more than happy just to have the movie in my collection - and the transfer (especially in terms of picture quality) is really nice. So until a version with optional subtitles is released this is a perfectly serviceable DVD.
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