The Man of the Year (2003)
"O Homem do Ano" (original title)

Maiquel has lost a bet and dyed his hair blond. This little event triggers a head-on collision with destiny in which Maiquel goes from nobody to hero to outlaw--all in 24 hours.

Director:

José Henrique Fonseca

Writers:

Rubem Fonseca, Patrícia Melo (novel)

Stars:

Murilo Benício, Cláudia Abreu, Natália Lage

7 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Murilo Benício	...	Máiquel
Cláudia Abreu	...	Cledir
Natália Lage	...	Érica
Jorge Dória	...	Dr. Carvalho
André Gonçalves	...	Galego
Lázaro Ramos	...	Marcão
Perfeito Fortuna	...	Robinson
Paulo Moska	...	Enoque
Wagner Moura	...	Suel
André Barros	...	Marlênio
Carlo Mossy	...	Delegado Santana
Mariana Ximenes	...	Gabriela
Amir Haddad	...	Gonzaga
José Wilker	...	Sílvio
Agildo Ribeiro	...	Zilmar

Storyline

In Rio, Máiquel is without prospects. He's philosophical and low-key. When he loses a bet and must dye his hair blond, life changes: he finds new confidence, he asks Cledir, the hairdresser, on a date, and when he's teased by a local tough kid, he murders him. Instead of an arrest, Máiquel's a local hero; the cops look the other way. He and Cledir become lovers, his victim's girlfriend Érica, who's 15, insists that he protect her and moves into his small flat, and job offers come his way from a group of rich men who want to settle scores and get rid of local riff-raff. Where can this business go, and what about the triangle of Cledir, Érica and Máiquel? He just wants to be normal?

---

Plot Keywords:

bet | murder | hair stylist | soccer | pet store | 

---

Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime

---

Details

Official Sites:

Official Site from Warner Bros.

Country:

Brazil

Language:

Portuguese

Release Date:

1 August 2003 (Brazil)

Also Known As:

The Man of the Year

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$69,416 (Brazil) (1 August 2003)

Gross:

$69,416 (Brazil) (1 August 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Conspiração Filmes, Estúdios Mega, MegaColor

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

References Wild at Heart (1990)

User Reviews

Bring On The Night

THE MAN OF THE YEAR, directed by Jose Henrique Fonseca, is a peculiar addition to the Vigilante Film Genre. Set in a poor section of Rio de Janeiro, Maiquel is a man without direction, who murders a thug over an insult, becomes a hero in the community, and then morphs into a kind of 'Killer For Hire'. This populist gunman becomes the darling of the local business class who immediately realize his value as a protector of their interests. Usually films of this nature explore the justification for the anti-hero's actions, and show how his violent behavior changes his character. However, in this film the protagonist seems to be driven by indifference--he kills without compunction and doesn't have the slightest trace of a moral compass. Although Christianity is referenced numerous times by various characters in the film, THE MAN OF THE YEAR is really an exploration of a man who feels nothing when he kills, and is incapable of feeling guilt. Máiquel shows more emotion when his pet pig, Bill, is killed than when he guns down defenseless men. It's interesting to note that none of his killings are fair, or even justifiable-all of them are executions, and most of them are not even his idea. Maybe the director is trying to say that in the wretched favela of Rio, a horribly cruel system of justice is better than none at all.