Gabriela (1983)
"Gabriela, Cravo e Canela" (original title)

In 1925, Gabriela becomes cook, mistress, and then wife of Nacib, a bar owner in a small Brazilian coastal town runs by the local colonels. Nacib becomes tired of Gabriela's uneducated ways... See full summary »

Director:

Bruno Barreto

Writers:

Jorge Amado (novel), Bruno Barreto,

Stars:

Sonia Braga, Marcello Mastroianni, Antonio Cantafora

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sonia Braga	...	Gabriela
Marcello Mastroianni	...	Nacib
Antonio Cantafora	...	Tonico Bastos (as Antonio Cantáfora)
Paulo Goulart	...	João Fulgêncio
Ricardo Petráglia	...	Prof. Josué (as Ricardo Petraglia)
Lutero Luiz	...	Cel. Manoel das Onças (as Luthero Luiz)
Tania Boscoli	...	Glória (as Tánia Boscoli)
Nicole Puzzi	...	Malvina
Flávio Galvão	...	Mundinho Falcão
Joffre Soares	...	Cel. Ramiro Bastos
Maurício do Valle	...	Cel. Amâncio Leal
Nildo Parente	...	Maurício Caires
Ivan Mesquita	...	Cel. Melk Tavares (as Yvan Mesquita)
Luiz Linhares	...	Cel. Jesuíno Mendonça
Emile Edde	...	Poeta Argileu (as Emile Eddé)

Storyline

In 1925, Gabriela becomes cook, mistress, and then wife of Nacib, a bar owner in a small Brazilian coastal town runs by the local colonels. Nacib becomes tired of Gabriela's uneducated ways, and annuls the marriage when he finds her in bed with his friend Tonico. The political ways of the town modernize slightly and Gabriela returns as Nacib's mistress.

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Plot Keywords:

female nudity | nudity | female frontal nudity | may december romance | female underarm hair | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

Brazil

Language:

Portuguese

Release Date:

6 October 1983 (Portugal)

Also Known As:

Gabriela

Filming Locations:

Parati, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sultana

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Version of Gabriela (1975)

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Soundtracks

"Mexerico"
Music and Words by Donga
Performed by Paulo Jobim

User Reviews

Latin Classic?

Here's a film to see in the 21st century that is entertaining almost exclusively for its time-capsule quality, a tour back through time and Brazil, a Latin pot-boiler with a cook who's always simmering. The full-on sexy scenes with Sonia Braga add to the uninhibited foreign flavors.

The original title is "Gabriela, Clove & Cinnamon." No question she's a spicy dish, seemingly always ready & willing and never wearing (hot clingy) foundations under her dress. Hired as a house-cook, she becomes appreciated by the male locals, too, when she begins to bring a loving lunch (of food) to Nacib. Her presentation - and not the food - becomes a little too delicious for the male patrons and Nacib finds it necessary to reduce her exposure a bit.

Not quite sure about Marcello Mastroianni's appearance as Nacib except to get financing and generate some foreign box. Nevertheless, he's OK, even though his cook (Braga), then mistress, then wife to prevent the other locals from making her THEIR mistress eventually proves hard to manage ... and to keep satisfied. Finally, the duplicity common to females elevated from even the lowest social strata takes hold and generates conflict.

This film also is a look at a Latin male culture that is variously leering and lewd and legally lax in a way that makes 80's Brazil seem like much longer ago. One reviewer called this film a "male fantasy." At first maybe, surely, with Gabriela's happy, quick smoldering readiness ... but it becomes phantasm more than orgasm as Nacib finds her increasingly difficult to keep happy (like letting her go to the circus instead of a local society lecture). His desire is for her to be regarded as his wife instead of merely youth'ish house-help and wife-mistress. In the end ... well, you'll have to see.

And wasn't Mastroianni in another film called "Wifemistress?" (Yes.) It's better and more sophisticated - and maybe more sexy (in the uncut international version) with perhaps one of the loveliest and first and most natural non-porn displays of the vulva in film. It's a film that currently is difficult to find - cut or uncut.