O Homem do Ano (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 & 17 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?

---

Plot Keywords:

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

---

Genres:

Action | Crime | Drama

---

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film is a family collaboration between writer Rubem Fonseca, his son, the director José Henrique Fonseca and lead actress Cláudia Abreu, who is married with the director.

---

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.

---

Connections

References Wild at Heart - Die Geschichte von Sailor und Lula (1990)

User Reviews

The Accidental Scarface

After City of God, any Brazilian film will get a good reception. This movie has now been released as "Man of the Year" in UK cinemas.

The low key start, where we see an angry kid shooting a man we later find out is detested in the community, gives way to escalating situations which owe quite a bit to Scarface. Like many similar films, a lot of time is spent looking at the consequences of immoral behaviour - not attempting explanation. The film walks the now familiar fine line between entertainment and moral relataivism quite successfully, mainly because the characters stay undiminished throughout.

The performances between the principles is really good. But it is the way the film starts rooted in a halting reality that makes it so watchable. Watching our protagonist brooding in his small flat with the girlfriend of his first victim, and a small piglet - neither of which he has control over - is what films are all about.

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Conspiração Filmes, Warner Bros., Estúdios Mega

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1