I have attempted on several occasions to watch this film from beginning to end, but without success. The problem is the language barriers. The dialogue is in Portuguese and Finnish with a little English. Not even the DVD version has the option of subtitles. How many people can translate between Finnish English & Portuguese? The viewer can still follow the story but much is missed without the interaction dialogue. The screenplay, grainy photography of Rio, characters and backdrop music all add to an atmospheric and interesting story. The close-ups of the poor of Rio, the markets, street scenes, gangsters, children and old folk gives a glimpse of the crime ridden city. The main character is a Finnish girl searching for her lost sister with the help of a non-Finnish or English speaking black gardener, who takes a shine to this red haired foreigner well out of her depth. European art-house cinema probably not aimed at a mainstream world audience. Worth persevering with.
