Cidade Baixa (2005)

Director:

Sérgio Machado

Writers:

Karim Ainouz (writer)
Sérgio Machado (writer)

Release Date:

17 November 2005 (Israel)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Love to live. Live to love.

Plot:

Lifelong friends Deco and Naldinho, who own a small steaming boat in Bahia, meet strip-dancer Karinna. Both men fall for her and their friendship is deeply shattered.

Plot Keywords:

Friendship | Boat | Friend | Rain | Bar

Awards:

18 wins & 20 nominations

Cast

Lázaro Ramos	...	Deco
Wagner Moura	...	Naldinho
Alice Braga	...	Karinna
José Dumont	...	Sergipano
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tinho Bahia	...	Lutador de Boxe
Harildo Deda	...	Careca
Fernanda de Freitas	...	Nilma
Luís Olho de Gato	...	Sparing
Andréa Elia	...	D. Lenita
Felipe Ferreira	...	Joilson
Nonato Freire	...	Escrivão
Fernando Fulco	...	Delegado
Carolina Kahro Ribeiro	...	Jamily
Agnaldo Lopes	...	Cliente Karinna 2
Ricardo Luedy	...	Cliente Karinna 1
Olga Machado	...	Médica
Wilson Mello	...	Ferreirinha
Maria Menezes	...	Luzinete
João Miguel	...	Edvan
Dois Mundos	...	Himself
Marcos Pedroso	...	Seu Marquinhos
Adelena Rios	...	Dançarina Strip 1
Leno Sacramento	...	Rufino
Débora Santiago	...	Sirlene
Guiga Scott	...	Locutor Xanadu
Ricardo Spencer	...	Marcelo
Divina Valéria	...	Zilu
Taís Wagner	...	Prostituta 1

Also Known As:

Lower City (International: English title) (UK)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexual content, nudity, language, some violence and drug use.

Runtime:

98 min | Brazil:110 min | Argentina:100 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)

Country:

Brazil

Language:

Portuguese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Brazil:16 (theatrical rating) | Brazil:18 (DVD rating) | USA:R | Singapore:R21 | Netherlands:12 | Malaysia:(Banned) | New Zealand:R18 | South Korea:18 | Australia:MA | UK:18

Filming Locations:

Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

Company:

VideoFilmes

Goofs:

Continuity: In closer shots of Karinna on the stripper pole, we can see that she is wearing panties. In farther-away shots, she appears full-frontally nude, putting said panties on.

Movie Connections:

References The Hot Chick (2002)

Real and Cruel Triangle of Love

In the Northeastern of Brazil, the twenty years old hooker Karinna (Alice Braga) negotiates a travel to Salvador, Bahia, in the boat of the friends Deco (Lázaro Ramos) and Naldinho (Wagner Moura), having sex with them and getting some money in return. Deco first, and Naldinho later, fall in love for Karinna, who likes both of them, forming a triangle of love and jeopardizing the friendship of Deco and Naldinho.

"Cidade Baixa" is a real and cruel triangle of love, having the landscape of the red light district in the lower zone of Salvador and the environment of hopeless people that lives in the limit of the marginality of the society, prostituting, robbing, and fighting for surviving. The plot is actually unpredictable, with many possibilities and an open end, having the excellent actor Lázaro Ramos in the lead role, with the also good actor Wagner Moura. But the great surprise is the unknown actress Alice Braga, niece of Sonia Braga, performing a very erotic and hot character and dignifying the name of her aunt. This low budget movie exhales sexual tension and eroticism, and is very pleasant and recommended, showing a deglamorized side of Brazil unknown even for many Brazilians. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Cidade Baixa" ("Lower City")