Fados

A style of music born in the slums of Lisbon during the early 19th century, “fado” reflects the longing of Portuguese settlers for rural homelands, lost loves, and unrealized dreams. Venerable Spanish director Carlos Saura, who has explored other forms of regional music in earlier films (such as Tango and Flamenco), pays tribute to the genre in this stylishly photographed performance piece that features an exhilarating fado competition with older and younger performers on a set recreated by Saura to resemble an old Lisbon tavern. Fados doesn't waste much time explaining or analyzing the music, but instead quickly presents such fado all-stars as Mariza, Carlos do Carmo, Camané, Chico Buarque, and world music legend Caetano Veloso. Memorable sequences include tributes to such great “fadistas” as Amalia Rodrigues, as well as Buarque's vocalized love-letter to Portugal, sung to newsreel clips of street celebrations during the country's 1975 revolution. Although many viewers will be unfamiliar with the fado before watching Saura's exuberant film, they're likely to become fans before the end credits roll. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include a “making-of” featurette (26 min.), a text guide to songs and performers, a photo gallery, trailers, and a booklet with a director's note. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a fine dance doc.] (E. Hulse)