Depois Eu Conto (1956) Poster

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7/10
An Entertaining and Hilarious Caricature of the Brazilian Society in the 50's
claudio_carvalho22 May 2011
In Engenho Novo, the gas station attendant and mechanic Zé da Bomba (Anselmo Duarte) is a cheater, playing a confidence game pretending that he is the millionaire José Pires e Camargo from São Paulo. His childhood friend Renatinho Pinga-Fogo is now the well-known social columnist René Doré and has introduced him to the high-society. Now, Zé da Bomba "borrows" the Cadillac of his boss every night and is a habitué of the fashionable Boite Astral, a night-club owned by Alfredo and his son Guilhermo that was promoted to the jet set by the artistic director Armindo Menezes. Further, he is dating the socialite Marilu Biscainha, the daughter of a wealthy banker Biscainha.

Zé da Bomba's sweetheart Sonia lives with her aunt Ofélia Canabrava (Dercy Gonçalves) and is the next-door neighbor of the gas station where he works with Veludo (Grande Otelo). Zé da Bomba likes Sonia, but does not see future in their relationship since he wants to climb to the higher classes and have a good job and position, and Marilu is the easiest way to make his dreams come true.

When Ofélia sees the picture of Armindo in the front page of the newspaper, she recognizes him as her former boyfriend Armindo "Tampinha", who seduced her ten years ago and borrowed a large amount telling that he would build a theater company and she would be the lead attraction, but vanishing with her money instead. Ofélia hides herself in the Cadillac and goes to the Astral nightclub with Zé da Bomba. When she sees Zé da Bomba with Marilu, she calls Sonia to join them in the nightclub. Further, Ofélia calls Marilu and unmasks Zé da Bomba to his fiancée.

Zé da Bomba vanishes and ten days later, he reappears working as a car dealer and decided to build a fashionable nightclub in the slums. He asks his friend Pinga-Fogo to promote the spot and invites Veludo, Ofélia and Sonia to work with him. But Alfredo and Guilhermo are not happy and decide to make a violent move against them.

"Depois Eu Conto" is a musical and romantic-comedy with an entertaining and hilarious caricature of the Brazilian society in the 50's. In the present days, this musical is absolutely dated and politically incorrect, with unpleasant characters that display lack of character and human values.

Zé da Bomba, for example, is an ambitious conman pretending to be a wealthy man. Marilu and her family are shallow and empty, without culture with a ridiculous sophistication. Ofélia is an ignorant woman, capable of intriguing a relationship using despicable means. Sonia is also shallow and silly. René Doré is another conman, visibly inspired in the columnist Ibrahim Sued. Armindo is a thief and caftan, capable to seduce a woman to steal her money and to organize a public humiliation of the same woman. Veludo is a simpleton, humiliated by his social condition.

"Depois Eu Conto" has also the participation of famous singers like Dircinha and Linda Batista and Ivon Cury singing their successful songs.

In 1956, the relationship of the society with dwellers of the slums is pacific, and if our authorities had given the necessary attention to this segment in those years, probably we would not living the huge social problem caused by these communities these days. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Depois Eu Conto" ("Then I Tell")
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