The career of Tonino Cervi took him from producing the films of Bertoclucci, Fellini and Antonioni to penning nunsploitation fare to making his own genre outings (from Spaghetti Westerns to Gothic horror to saucy comedies); the film under review is easily the least of his works that I have watched so far. A cross between BLACK ORPHEUS (1958; an overrated 'classic' I was never too fond of in the first place) and the Broadway musical A CHORUS LINE, this would-be existentialist piece of erotica with fantasy elements is an indigestible brew that pits a young Roman businessman (David Brandon) on the verge of bankruptcy who goes to Rio in search of finance and eventually gets sucked into (obviously enough) the Carnival festivities and the allures of the current singing sensation (Tania Alves). The latter is a sort of angelic presence (with a dancing shaman for a mother no less!) who gives her body freely to virtually everyone who needs it – from her besotted theatrical director (who we are told grew up with her), casual acquaintances in Brazilian night-spots and, naturally, our unsympathetic hero. Alternating between unintentionally amusing bouts of steamy sex, interminable musical numbers and even philosophical discussions between Brandon and his equally stranded Italian waiter (Paolo Bonacelli), the film's limited appeal lies squarely in the frequently naked form of Miss Alves...who, incongruously enough (given her 'mission' in life), gets to make up with Brandon on a beach at sunset – after one too many screaming match – for the finale!
