Matar ou Morrer - O Caso Thabata, o Bebê Refém

The real crime genre usually offers great material for films and documentaries as audiences are always curious in knowing about the dark side of the human condition, how crimes were investigated, solved or not, and there's always room for some debate. This video project by Clery Cunha escapes that category simply because it's a cheap re-enactment of a real case and it's done in such a lousy way that any possible interest or quality is easily lost from the very opening scene to the very last. This is trash to the core and I only watched out of curiosity for a case I didn't know anything about - and after some research I don't think I'll ever get to know the reality of it all.

18 February, 1987, Mogi das Cruzes area, in São Paulo. Two technical students of Asian descent filled with debts and zero money decide to kidnap a woman and her two-month baby from an important family and demand some money. As those guys weren't experienced with any criminal act, the plan fails when they're inside the house as the woman and the housekeepers manage to get away; but the baby stays behind as hostage, police takes over the case and negotiations begin.

Recently elect for his first term as state congressman, police captain Conte Lopes (who plays himself) handles the negotiation with the nervous criminals, shoots them later on and a whole controversy erupts from his actions, as some celebrate him as a hero but others see him as a reckless man who endangared baby Tabatha's life.

Even though Lopes is the one who retells the events from that dramatic day it's hard to tell if all that was shown could be seen as 100% accurate - and we all know how some police stories usually go for unorthodox methods and it's more critical when the man bragged about in the media for being responsible for more than 200 deaths. Nonetheless, the case made him a known figure and he's still helds his position in the legislative power. The story about the criminals and their real motives doesn't fully convince, as there are reports that claim a shady connection between both parts of the hostage situation, and/or also a drug related debt. Even if not so, if we consider the scenario put on film it was a lousy and critical negotiation scenario that could have ended a lot better and without risking the child.

The "movie": extremely trash, ill-conceived, badly acted by almost everybody. As Lopes is a cop-turned-politician, he gets some relatively good moments as he knows how to talk to the media and he's basically playing himself with that usual tough guy demeanor; director Cunha has a small yet important role as a guy considered accomplice of the kidnappers plan and his acting is the most believable. The rest is a mess, lines are poorly delivered, the editing is atrocious just as the intrusive music and the sound of it all where the baby's cries are so loud that the dialogue in between cannot be heard.

Some editorial choices don't make any sense, such as the baby's face is censored on two different scenes yet during the whole kidnapping the face appears (she is credited for the role, though it doesn't convince as two-month baby. She's too big).

It's one of the most cringe-worthy films I ever seen, painfully laughable yet I could not laugh at this as it was a real, serious case that affected society greatly in 1987. I had to control myself time and again as the action was unfolding before my eyes. One great thing about it was that one actually gets to know a portion of the city of São Paulo in the 1990's echoing 1980's without any use of art-direction or recreation. That portion of the film, including the use of some of the actual locations, feels authentic. Curious for the case will have to go through this "film" as there isn't much information available on the internet, neither from news archives available. I won't say it's a waste of time, but it was a matter of time badly spent. 2/10.