Customer Reviews

The Man Who Copied

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Andre (Lazaro Ramos), a young man living in Porto Alegre, Brazil, is "The man who copied". That title may seem a little strange, but the truth is that it has a lot to do with his job: Andre is a photocopy operator.

Does that sound boring? If you think so, you are wrong, because photocopy operators like Andre can fall in love with someone they haven t even talked to, come up with strange and risky ideas to earn more money and yes, even rob banks.

All in all, I can say that I really liked this excellent Brazilian film, directed by Jorge Furtado, and I can recommend it to you. If you decide to watch it, pay attention to the great little twist at the end, because it changes the meaning of the whole movie.

Belen Alcat

I didn't know what to expect from this film. I've seen "City of God" which was amazing but had no idea Brazil was consistently releasing films of that caliber. Definitely left me wanting more from Brazilian cinema! Very entertaining film with an excellent plot and rewarding ending.

Don't sleep on this one - worth checking out!

This movie has everything you could ask for: a talented cast, a clever plot, and a totally unpredictable ending. Our "man who copies", André, is portrayed by gifted Brazilian actor Lázaro Ramos. I first became a fan of Ramos in his portrayal of the petty thug and drug-addled prisoner Ezequiel in Carandiru. Ramos totally loses himself as the passive copy shop worker, to the point where I didn't even realize it was the same actor as Carandiru until halfway through the film (he goes blond in the prison film).

Luana Piovani is painfully sexy as Marinês, and does a solid acting job as André's seductive co-worker. Leandra Leal and Pedro Cardoso also make for a great supporting cast, both having earned their stripes in Brazilian TV and cinema.

One of my favorite aspects of the film is the inclusion of animation, which does a great and funny job of telling André's story. Overall this was a fun film, and one of my favorite Brazilian movies.

I have never been held back from watching a really good movie because of subtitles. This is a movie well worth the translation. I truly enjoyed it. If I wore one, I'd definitely take my hat off to Brazilian film makers. This movie is a quality piece of work

Jorge Furtado's comedies are some of the most popular films currently in Brazil, for good reason. Some US critics of The Man Who Copied fault it for petering out, for not developing the implications of the limited options of the working class, ie, the copy "boy" who got kicked out of school. But the movie has more surprising twists in store, which without being too much of a spoiler I can only call "Rear Window" looks back.

I liked this film, but if you are looking for a light romantic comedy, you may be better off looking somewhere else. And don't be deceived by the first half of "The man who copied", which seems to promise light entertainment. Despite the lightness of the first half, and the apparent "innocence" and naivete of some of the characters, much darkness awaits ahead. Indeed the script will present you with some interesting and non-obvious moral interrogatives.

I watched this movie after enjoying "Romeo and Juliet get married", another Brazilian movie where the stunning Luana Piovani (who in this movie plays the interesting role of the not-so-dumb blonde) is the main female character. If you are looking for light entertainment in a foreign comedy, you may be better off watching Romeo and Juliet (unless you really dislike soccer). But if you are looking for something deeper, or for something maybe in between a romantic comedy and "City of God", then look no further than this one!

Lazaro Ramos is one of my favorite actors. He's been in a lot of movies and tv shows in Brasil too - the most recent one I can think of was the soap opera "Cobras & Lagartos" where he was at the center of the novelas plot. Meanwhile Pedro Cardoso is an actor that almost triggers a "laugh on site' order - especially with his outfits! He too has been in several movies but prominantly features in the sitcome "O Grande Familia". But here they are both featured and neither one of them disappoint, along with a pretty strong cast of characters like the adorable Leandra Leal and the drop-dead smokin' gorgeous Luana Piovani.

To describe the movie without giving it all away... it's about a young man (Lazaro Ramos) with a bit of a bleak reality and future who's job is to work on a copy machine. All the while, he is infatuated with a girl (Leandra Leal) that lives a few buildings down from him whom he 'spies' on whenever he gets the chance. Characters are gradually introduced in the series, like Cardoso, who was Luana's boyfriend in the movie, but the movie bursts into a full sprint the very moment Lazaro's boss buys a color printer and the element of half-hazard crime kicks in. The funniest thing is that everything stems from a sort of innocent crush that he has on the girl in the other building and how he just wants to meet her.

I really enjoyed the movie. It wasn't incredibly deep, and it wasn't overly thought-provoking - it was just a good sort of romantic/comedy/drama (sorry). I liked that it wasn't completely depressing or harsh... you see enough of that reality with Brasil should you live there. But you do see some funny/sad scenes, like the way the movie opens up. Lazaro narrates his routine, and he is at the store deciding what he can buy, and the attitudes of the shop-keepers and cashier. Brasil! The movie does build a bit slowly, admittedly, but it whisks you away at one point with the changes in events that occur.

Leanda Leal was adorable in the movie and her personality was great throughout, even surprising a bit towards the end. And Cardoso was... Cardoso, while Lazaro Ramos, of course, has a charm to him that makes viewers root for him. It's a good, fun movie which you want to see a second time after seeing it through since almost EVERYTHING in it has a meaning. Sort of like "Next Stop Wonderland".

The Man Who Copied is an interesting movie about love and crime, and what people will do for love. It has an excellent class, including Leandra Leal and my favorite Pedro Cardoso. Another quaint movie from Brazil.