A heady mix of sex, violence, murder and police brutality, this film is apparently based on a real-life Brazilian crime case. The film is technically faulty, with fuzzy focus, washed colour, poor sound, and abrupt editing, however this adds to the voyeuristic sensation the viewer feels. The two teenage lovers are vulnerably youthful, and their nude sex scenes uninhibited and at times quite startling, for example when Toninho, shortly after first meeting Sandra, quickly strips naked and proceeds to fondle and force himself upon her. The violence is no less confronting, and parallel with the story of the two ill-fated lovers is the account of a police investigation into a series of murders which Sandra's estranged father, Galvao, is conducting. I don't wish to give any more of the story away, but for those who would enjoy a vivid and authentic look at the sordid underbelly of Rio's demi-monde, it would be hard to go past this disturbing study.
Review of Amor Bandido
