This is a stupendous and fascinating documentary series on contraventor Castor de Andrade and all of his activities, both as a criminal figure
behind illegal gambling (jogo do bicho) but also as an influential and important figure on the Rio de Janeiro society, dominating the world of Carnival
(of which he was the founder of the Samba Schools League of Rio) and as owner of soccer team Bangu. He was such a divisive and controversial figure
that whenever his name is mentioned, most people associate him with obscure things. But "Doctor Castor" manages to show such a different side of him that
you end up liking him, you feel seduced by his popularity (as told by many of his friends and associates), and there were good things about him that
cannot be denied. This is a powerful documentary of such a powerful character and it totally feels as something you have never seen before.
If, like me, you only heard about the man and don't know much about, this is a must-see experience. Never a lost moment, very thrilling, entertaining
and informative on a balanced manner, and funny as hell. The man was such a character that it makes me wonder where's the movie about him. Some brilliant
mind needs to write a film or a miniseries about him as there are plenty of solid material to work, by dealing with everything he was involved, his escapes
from justice, and the legacy that still stands with his influence on the Carnival world. Countless up's and down's, from his successful rise in a world of money and power
where he could deal with all kinds of people (rich and poor) in an easy-going manner, and also a huge downfall with successive problems with justice and
their combat on illegal gamblings.
Besides the several archive footage and interviews with Castor, we have the presence of his friends, lawyers, soccer players from Bangu, and also
the prosecutors and the judge who went after his dealings. They all provide great insights about his importance, sharing amazing anedoctes and facts of his,
and a majority of those stories are real fun to hear as they a view of Brazilian society that it's completely unthinkable - yet it all happened. But what impressed me the most came from his period with the soccer team, where they had their most
glorious days in the mid 1980's, culminating with the Brazilian Soccer vice-championship of 1985. Heavily dramatic and thrilling moments that keep you
immersed in the details from the games of the period and how that title escaped them. It was a very emotional journey for the players who appear in the
film and you can see why, all about the differences they could have made, the regrets and how it devasted the team in the following years since they never
got back to such great quality.
Throughout the doc, "The Godfather" is constantly referenced by people when defining Castor de Andrade and it's a proper definition for certain
reasons. As they had a series of diversified empires and dealings, they had a great talent for business, but it all comes down with a prize, with tragedies
along the way - "The Boss of Bosses" is the title of one of the episodes. It's easy to find some similarities, but the main one related with the human
element resonates on both figures: how big it would be their magnificence if they were on the right side of the law and if they applied their vision and
talents while working for different causes? In his particular scenario, could he bring the many titles won on the Carnival parades without making some inner
schemes, or could Bangu have the same merit as a team? Those questions aren't answered, but it's great to imagine the possibilities.
Quality documentary on all levels, one of the best of its kind and you won't stop it until you've seen all episodes. 10/10.
