Ovelha Negra, Uma Despedida de Solteiro

'Ovelha Negra' slipped under my radar for very long. Thanks to a poll in which several critics and film scholars chose the best Brazilian films of all times, I had my attention drawn to it and decided to see it. I was skeptical at first, as it is by the same guy that gave us the awful 'Engraçadinha', but by the very first frames of 'Ovelha Negra' it becomes obvious that there is no comparison between the two films. The first hour of 'Ovelha Negra' is arguably the best part of the film. It evokes life in the late forties in Brazil with a vividness and truth that are very rare in most films. Technically, the film is very well done, given its probable low budget. Of course, not everything is perfect. The actress that plays Rita the singer can't sing satisfactorily and that detracts a little from the film in terms of mood and believability. Also, perhaps the last half hour of the film could have been better thought out in its details. But the sum of this film's qualities is greater than the sum of its flaws, and I recommend it.