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LULA, SON OF BRAZIL Send This Review to a Friend
A laudatory dramatization of the life of Luis Inacio Lula da Silva. Brazil’s popular president from 2003-2010, has been directed by Fábio Barreto based on the book by Denise Parana, who co-wrote the screenplay with Daniel Tendler and Fernando Bonassi.
The story of Lulo, as he is known, is of a rise from poverty to become a national leader, crowned by Time Magazine in 2010 as one of the “Most Influential People in the World.”
There is no effort at objectivity. Lula is thoroughly lionized and on the evidence presented here, he deserves the exalted portrait. It is interesting to see the film at this moment in the American presidential race with its Republican primaries. The strength and intelligence of Lula only emphasizes what clowns we have as the candidates vying to try to unseat our President Obama.
This Brazilian portrait takes three actors to complete--Felipe Falanga as Lula at the age of seven, Guilherme Tortolio as the 15-year-old Lula and Rui Ricardo Diaz as the adult Lula who conveys magnetism as a leader who battles for “the people” in the maze of challenges faced, given the special interests who want to ride roughshod in the country.
The film also paints a reverential portrait of Lula’s struggling mother, Dona Lindu, who raised eight children in the face of abandonment by her husband. Gloria Pires gives a striking performance as the courageous mother who profoundly influenced Lula’s life.
The film doubles as a tour through Brazilian history of the period, with Lulu serving as a conduit, meshing his life with the needs of the country. It is biography unhindered by criticism as the filmmakers shower the subject with unbridled enthusiasm.
The film is a product of the renowned Barreto family, in this case produced by the director’s sister Paula Barreto and parents Luiz Carlos and Lucy Barreto. Their son, Bruno Barreto, has also made his mark as an important Brazilian director. A New Yorker Films release.
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