Customer Reviews

Girl From Rio

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

A very watchable comedy movie.
The very simple story revloves around Raymond Wood (the wonderful Hugh Laurie) who works for a small Bank in the city of London. He seems to be in a (classic) mid-life crisis. Raymond's wife is having an affair with his boss, who doesn't like Raymond one bit and has been denying him promotion for two years in a running. Raymond loves Samba dance, harbors a day dream to visit Rio and dance with Orlinda (a very famous Samba carnival dancer). On a whim, Raymond steals lots of money from his bank and catches a direct flight to Rio. He runs into a clumsy Taxi driver, Pablo who takes him on a joy ride all across Rio. He also helps Raymond meet with Orlinda (the very gorgeous Vanessa Nunes). Raymond falls for Orlinda and this starts a chain of interesting events, brushes with the Mafia, street chases and great escapes.
The foot-tapping and soul-tickling Samba music is amazing (will make you run to the nearest music store to grab a copy). Rio provides a beautiful backdrop (reaffirming it as the Planet's most beautiful city).

Hugh Laurie plays his part to perfection and you'll probably won't get enough of Vanessa Nunes.

Coming to this film with low expectations, I was happily surprised to find this a diverting, charming, and sweet confection. My initally sceptical teenage boys also watched it with great satisfaction, enjoying in particular the wonderful scenery of Rio and the gorgeous legs of co-star Vanessa Nunes. I found Hugh Laurie believably naive and awkward as the cuckolded London bank officer who takes off on the trip of his fantasies to Rio. And he really did pull off the sexy samba scenes quite well! As a fan of his hit TV show "House," it was a treat to see this great actor in a completely different role.

Suspend all disbelief and have a good time. Once again, Hugh Laurie is handed a role that's somewhat beneath him, but he makes the best of it. He plays the victim so well and isn't half bad as a samba dancer, either, but the film turns so silly at times that it's a little embarrassing to watch. Laurie's comic style is a bit like the young Dick Van Dyke's: very physical. His years in vehicles like "Blackadder" and "Jeeves & Wooster" have shown, however, that he's capable of much more refined and esoteric comedy, and his role in "House" demonstrates his depth as a dramatic actor as well. Although he's perfect for this role, I feel his talents are rather wasted here. The locales and music, however, are superb, and the huge dance & drum number is breathtaking. I'm going to go out to buy some samba CDs now.

Girl from Rio is such a sweet, funny, charming movie! Hugh Laurie plays a bank under-manager named Raymond Wood who leads a boring life except for his passion for samba dancing. While Raymond is teaching dancing at night, his wife is having an affair with his hateful boss. When Raymond discovers this, he decides to pursue his dream of meeting and dancing with the beautiful Brazilian samba dancer Orlinda, and the rest is pure fun.

Laurie is just wonderful in this as an upright Englishman whose life changes for the best on what he thinks is the worst day of his life. In addition to the dancing, he does some marvelous physical comedy.

If you like sweet romantic comedies, you will really like this movie.

I checked out Girl From Rio as a pre-House Hugh Laurie fan and a dance enthusiast. It's turned out to be one of my very favorite movies. I do like pretty light-weight stuff but I also appreciate good acting, casting, and direction. The characters are absolutely charming, the music and dancing are quite thrilling. Loved the way all the scenes were shot, from a funny old cab racing around the back-streets of Rio to London at night or the gorgeous Orlinda walking upstairs in a fringed red mini-skirt. It seems to start slowly but then the plot never lets up. Everything about the movie gets more exciting and colorful and it ends leaving the viewer satisfied and ready to dance. Watch for the aerial shots of both countries and dancing holiday crowds in Rio.

Cute, romantic comedy of a screwball English banker who dreams of a samba dancer, only to rob the bank he works for and fly to Rio to meet her!

"House" fans will be shocked to hear Laurie's perfect British accent and his comedic genius.

Laurie proves he is a very versatile performer.

This film is an absolute joy! It's a sweet, tender and funny love story that will leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy. Hugh Laurie is his usual sexy, irresistible, fantastic self (the character he plays in this film could be correctly described as the "anti-House") and Vanessa Nunes is an complete knockout. If you love a good old fashioned love story with a real Hollywood ending then you'll love this dvd!

I purchased this movie cause I am Hugh Laurie fan. And I was delightfully suprised. When I saw Hugh dancing samba, he just took my breath away! He was so sexy. The whole story was fun, sweet and surprising. If you like Hugh Laurie, Vanessa Nunes and/or samba you musn't miss the opportunity to have this movie.

Fun, Hugh Laurie is very good as expected. Rio is so beautiful and her SAMBA is great.

Not sure if this movie opened in the US, but due to Hugh Laurie's role in the show, "House" the DVD is now available. Very cute story, cute girl, and a nice mix of comedy.