Saudade do Futuro

An exciting documentary that is reminiscent of cinematic experiments in the 1920s and '30s attempting to capture the character and pulse of a modern metropolis through a series of impressions, director Cesar Paes' Saudade do Futuro reveals many facets of the northeastern Brazilian city of Sao Paulo simply by following a number of people--art gallery director, builder, maid, etc.--to witness the urban environment through their eyes. The results are compelling, including sequences set in factories, at important art events, markets, and so on, all without narration and--taken together--revealing a collective personality in a fascinating city. Between chapters, local troubadours improvise rapidly-spoken songs with a clattering beat, a sound not quite like anything else. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1, the disc's extras include additional music and a poster gallery. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)