The Man of the Year (2003)

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

8 wins & 12 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
Paulinho Moska	...	Enoque (as Moska)
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?

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Plot Keywords:

bet | murder | brazil | cell phone | father daughter relationship | 

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Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama

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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, Limited Release

Company Credits

Production Co:

Conspiração Filmes, Warner Bros. Brasil, Estúdios Mega

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

At the end of the film, when Máiquel dyes his hair to its normal black color, he does so without wearing gloves. In real life this would turn his hands black as well and be a dead giveaway, but after Máiquel uses the dye his hands look normal.

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Connections

References Wild at Heart (1990)

User Reviews

It's more than a baby pig, much more!

I'm not sure just where in the USA this Brazilian film has been released but I'm grateful that it came to my small city...

I saw "City of God" and was mesmerized by its raw power and its characters struggling with their sordid lives of hopelessness. But "The Man of the Year" I had to see twice. Everything about this film appealed to me. Murilo Benicio as Maiquel is nothing less than brilliant as a quiet middle class loser - vain, smug, angry, brooding, thoughtful, remorseful, duped, and with a special fondness for a baby pig that is handed him as a gift. Many twists and turns of fate cause his life to take on dimensions similar to a Greek tragedy. The two women in his life are equally well-cast, along with just about everyone in the entire film. Maiquel struggles with two jealous women, life-long friendships, and along with his new job as a hit-man, he has more than enough to keep him brooding, on edge, questioning his actions, his fate. I could sense his desperation in every scene. And always, you empathize with him.

What made this movie especially powerful for me was the way it was filmed. I read that it is the first movie of director Jose Enrique Fonseca - this man has a real future! The beginning panorama of Rio at night, Murilo's apartment and the pet shop, the wedding, a dose of religion, the final round of killings, the Rave - these and other scenes were filmed with such beauty and panache, propelling the plot with momentum, vigor, color, even tenderness as the Murilo's life changes bigtime. There are touches of humor - being in the dentist's chair, bathing a baby pig, ranting about the pitfalls of marriage. The musical score added immensely to the film, and the camera angles and overall cinematography were expert.

Here's to filmmakers from Brazil, Mexico, and other countries in Central and South America! I hope this film has a wide release, it deserves it.