PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Gurlyndrobb While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

filippaberry84 I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

Bluebell Alcock Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

cpu-4 Orfeu mixes elements of Greek mythology and classical theatre with Brazilian telenovelas. That may sound like a recipe for disaster, but to me the director actually pulled it off.It was fascinating to me as someone from Western Europe to see how different life in the favelas is (both in good and bad ways), and to see the ancient Greek story set in such a different context. The cinematography is also great.I can see how some would be disappointed if they were expecting to get immersed into a convincing story set in the midst of a full blown carnival extravaganza though.The main characters Orfeu and Euridice didn't really come to life to me as genuine likable individuals that I could identify with, but more as the original Greek personas. However most other members of the cast did not have this "problem" and provided plenty of convincing drama.Also although we are treated to some scenes of the amazing Rio carnival, the director doesn't really seem to immerse us in that world of extravagance. We are almost looking at it from a distance, as if to say it's not that important to the actual story.To sum it all up: what makes Brazil interesting is that it is such a melting pot, and melting very different elements into a lively stew is exactly what happens in Orfeu. It may not always be that easy to digest, but boring it is not!

octaviaslady The cinematography of this film is beautiful. The symbolic use of light to indicate mood (and abrupt changes in it) is very well done. Also the colors are vibrant, beautiful affairs with vibrant, samba music to go with it.The part of the movie that fails is the acting. It is hard to follow simply because the characters' emotions are hard to read. I have watched many subtitled or silent films, take Chaplin's "The Kid" for example, that are easy to follow simply because of the good acting. In this film I had a hard time keeping up with the plot because I didn't have a clue what was going on without reading the subtitles. Even then I had a hard time following the motives on occasion. For example, the drug dealer Lucinho seems to have no motivation for his violence late in the film, yet his actions are a crucial plot point.The real shame about this being a foreign language film, at least for me, is that reading all the subtitles to keep up kept my eyes away from the beautifully composed shots. Any one of those stills could be taken as a photograph and be a work of art on their own. Sadly, they would probably be better artwork than the film itself.

catira44 As one who loved and and read and saw the old version, Orfeu Negro, and who has lived on the songs for 40 years or so, I can say that this is a really good film. It is superior to the old one in many ways but what it gains in sophistication, it loses in enchantment. Never the less, it is a major and almost successful effort at a peep into a reality one cannot even begin to imagine. It is also admirable for the respect with which every single one of the inhabitants of the hopeless world of the "Favelas" are depicted, down to the last of the "evil characters" or the shifty one whose crying scene closes the film.It is also a beautiful love story and the recognizable connection to the Greek original is also remarkable.

ElianaM ORFEU is a good reworking of the Orpheus story. It has been remade using all of Vinicius de Morais' criteria for an updated version. Among the criteria was adding the modest modern forms of the art. ORFEU does that wonderfully in depicting the current underworld ruling the favelas (poor shanty towns), and the modern trends in language and music, including Brazilian rap. It is definitely an updated version of the late 50's "Black Orpheus." Now, whether one prefers the comparatively nostalgic '50s ORPHEUS or not is another matter. And that should not be the yardstick on which this film is rated. Understandably, a lot of people have problems with accepting rap in Brazilian samba, overt sexuality (which is rampant even on Brazilian prime-time TV) and the nuanced acting of Brazilian telenovelas, which, like it or not, is what the people are used to, and the popular standard for acting in Brazil. Whether this style of acting is good or bad is definite subjective. Regular people in Brazil overact more than those in the movie have been accused of doing. Go there and see people in a normal discussion, then argue about who overacts. I therefore assure you that ORFEU delivers what it intended, and with fabulous sound and cinematography, state of theart. Whether you preferred the "innocent" days of the 50s to today's rougher climate is of course your choice, but it's not fair to vent your anger or to criticize the film for it. Criticize society, whomever. But not the artists in this movie. They are representing things as they are right now, whether you like it or not. It's unfortunate that since most don't like the general state they take it out on the movie. The movie is definitely worth watching. It only reflects society, and kind of sanitized at that. The acting is the best you'll get from a bunch who have to master Samba dancing, singing, looking wonderful, and seeming realistic, just for starters. They do that and more in this movie.