The Man Who Copied (2003) Poster

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8/10
Now I want to see many other Brazilian movies
philip_vanderveken23 May 2005
I don't know why, but there is something about 'losers' that makes them more likable. Of course we like to see successful people too, but you will never have that feeling that you have to help them or take care of them like you have with people who are having a hard time. Perhaps it is because most of us know all too well what it is not to have all the money you want to spend, not having the job of your dreams,... And that's exactly the situation the main character, André, is in.

André is a nineteen year old, relatively poor kid who lives with his mother in a small apartment in Porto Alegre, Brazil. He works as a photocopier operator and in his free time he makes cartoons. When he falls in love with Silvia, a girl from the neighborhood that he spies on with a telescope, he needs money to spend in the store where she works. Money he doesn't have, but with a 50 real note and the photocopier he'll try to solve his problem. But then it all gets out of control, certainly when he decides that photocopying is not the only way of making money...

Even though André is portrayed as a criminal in the movie, you'll cheer him on to succeed in his dreams and you'll hope that he doesn't get caught or get into serious trouble. I guess that's where the power of this movie can be found in. This is an excellent portrayal of a person with the heart on the right spot, but with too little money to realize his dreams and some stupid ideas to solve that problem. And not only André has been portrayed well. His friends are interesting to follow as well. There is something about all the characters that makes you wanting to know what happens with them in the next part of the movie.

Next to the nice story and the fine characters, I also want to put some emphasis on the excellent way everything was shot. The mix of cartoon and real images makes this a special, but also very interesting movie. This certainly gives the movie something extra, something that you don't find in many other movies.

In the end I can only say that this is another fine example of the Brazilian cinema. "Cidade de Deus" (aka City of God) was an immense success, but the maker of this one certainly doesn't have to be ashamed of what he has done either. I liked it a lot and it makes me look forward to other Brazilian movies. I give it an 8/10.
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9/10
Good Story, good ending!
FafaSays5 December 2004
'Money is only paper that people believe is worth something. If nobody believes it, it's useless,' says Andre, a young man who works as a paper copier in a store but really wants to work as a cartoonist.

Too bad that everyone believes that money is a very useful piece of paper. Andre doesn't make enough money. His paycheck is low and he struggles with his meager budget, which allows him to buy and do very little. Everyday, he thinks of different ways to make money.

The need of money can make a person do some desperate things and Andre becomes desperate when he meets the girl of his dreams. He needs money to spend on her. His desperation leads him to make some very questionable choices.

Andre's character is so likable that I couldn't help but cheer him on to succeed in his dreams. I hoped that he would not get in trouble or hurt. The people around him like his girlfriend Sylvia, his co-worker Marinez, and her friend Cardoso are all appealing characters to watch.

This is a fun movie to watch with interesting twists and turns to the very end. It's a good story with a good ending.
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8/10
Peeping Tom
jotix10014 November 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Andre, a young man who works in a small stationary store in Porto Alegre, Brazil, has to struggle to make ends meet. He lives with his mother, who we almost never see, but who we hear as she is retiring for the day. Andre, who spends most of his time in his room where he draws his own kind of comic books, discovers a beautiful young woman across the street. Since he can only see so much, he decides to follow her and get to know her. In watching the girl, Andre discovers her father, a security guard, spies on her while she is in the bathroom.

As it turns out, Andre, who operates the photocopying machine at the store, gets to meet the object of his affection by following her all the way to the place where she works, where he pretends to be looking for a present for his mother. Since his funds are limited, and with the arrival of a new color machine, Andre finds a way to get his hands in some money, which involves copying a bill.

At the same time, through Marines, a woman who works with Andre, he gets to meet Cardoso, a man who sees an opportunity to get rich in two ways, passing fake bills and even attempting to hold up a bank by surprising the guards. Andre loves to play the lottery. Cardoso and Andre come up with a solution in order to get Silvia away from the creepy Antunes, who turns out not to be her real father and go to Rio, something they both had planned to do. Imagine Andre's surprise when the combination he played at the lottery is the winner!

Jorge Furtado, the director of this entertaining Brazilian film, shows he is a natural for this type of comedy. He was lucky in casting Lazaro Ramos to portray Andre. Mr. Ramos makes a wonderful contribution to the film. Leandra Leal, who is seen as Silvia, is also good. Luana Poivani and Pedro Cardoso are seen as Marines and Cardoso, who are also tied to all the action in the film.

At the conclusion of the story we are shown how Silvia knew what Andre was up to from the start in a funny way. The comedy is recommended because of its well meaning fun it packs.
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10/10
Must See Film
reazon1328 May 2005
I will tell you almost nothing about the plot of this film. It's too good to ruin giving away any details. I saw this film in 04 at the SF Intl. Film Festival, and of the 15 or so films I saw, this was by far the gem of gems. It's visually spectacular, clever, funny at times, you don't see it all coming as layers peel away, there's love, tension and it's truly what film making is supposed to be about. (Hollywood, take a memo!)You'd have to be a stone to not enjoy this film, and on so many levels. It is set in an industrial town in Brazil, the characters are every day people, and the lens of the camera takes you on a ride you will remember. The Director has done videos before this, and brought a very contemporary style and language to the film making process. This is not a melo-drama or dark and heavy, but it's exquisite to watch and really what film making, art-making should be about.

See it in a theater, rent it if you can, but see this film!!!
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10/10
It's got it all
jespereilertsen18 September 2004
This movie has it all - adventure, crime, romance, friendship, humor. It's surprising - you newer know what's going to happen next, you're kept in suspense. It's personal and heartfelt without being tepid and pink.

The characters are very realistic and they make very fine, well balanced portraits. And it's a movie that can make you think a lot, if you want to - you can also choose just to hop on board and follow the flow of this journey.

Great ending! - I admit, I'm a weak sucker for an ending like that! :) This is a tenner! 10/10
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Great expectations and great results!
leonardozeligbrazil10 January 2004
A clever plot with an inspiring cast,thats how I define O homem que copiava(The man who copied).We follow the journey of Andre,a fotocopy operator that works in a small city.Without challenges in his life or money,he decides to turn a voyeur.He buys a binocle and starts spying the girl that lives in front of his apartment.Later he becomes her friend and gets obsessed about her life.

But if he wants to win her heart he must win a lot of money,so he decides to copy cash in his fotocopy machine,then...It happens lots of things,and I'm sure everybody will be delighted with the funny and crazy things that Andre does to win money!

Andre is played by Lazaro Ramos,one of the best actors of the new brazilian generation, he plays with such frankness and innocence Andre that fits perfectly to the great actor!Add to the story ,the beauty and talent of the most enjoyable,funny,sexy and above all things breath taking Luana Piovani playing the girl who works at the same stationer's shop that Andre.There is Pedro Cardoso very comfortable in his role and Leandra Leal playing Sylvia,the passion of Andre.

The movie has almost the same interaction of Nueve Reinas,the argentinian movie with Ricardo Darin!If you Liked Nueve Reinas you'll certainly like O homem que copiava.It hasn't arrived at the United States yet ,but when arrive run to the cinema ,cos' you won't be disappointed!!

8 out of 10
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6/10
very nice...but too much twisting in the end
helverdi-128 October 2008
I watched this film enjoying every moment until the last 20 minutes or so. Why did the script and pace twist so much, I really couldn't get it. The sympathetic, lovable characters turned into killers and robbers too fast. And for what purpose? It was a naive, touching script which shifted to a crime text in an absurd way. We witnessed every small detail of the main character's simple life in a very beautiful way for more than 3/4 of the film but everything got an unbelievable and shallow pace suddenly and I was left for wondering why he did this and that without any clue.

I would have recommend it to anyone and regard it as a masterpiece but unfortunately it's only a nice film for me now, after the terrible last quarter.
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10/10
One of the most upbeat and inventive foreign films of the year!
patrick-31927 February 2006
The Man Who Copied tells the story of a young adult attempting to break himself free from the life that society and fate has drawn for him. Andre, the protagonist, is a 19 year old Brazilian, toiling as a "photocopy operator," while pursuing his hobby – comic illustration, and a love he is not sure he can realize. The film is filled with quaint analogies of "art imitating life" and vice versa, and portrays the exterior world and the personalities that inhabit it as illustrated avatars, behind which lurk unexpected and surprising motives, dreams, and desires. It IS very similar to the film "Amelie" in this aspect. The film is a painting depicting the many shades of truth, and shows the absurdity of preconception and expectation. It is bright, uplifting, and full of exciting plot twists that will keep the viewer glued to the screen until the very end (although it starts a bit slowly).

The director uses cinematic technique to portray a fragmented world—that of Andre's existence, (as well as that of contemporary Brazil, as a whole) and attempts to scrutinize the minutiae of daily life in order to distill its essence and produce a vision of WHY we go about mundane and mechanical daily tasks, and how easily one can get caught up in a web of deception and false pretense. The photography is excellent, combining the brightness and color of South America with cutting edge editing and camera technique.

The film is also a subtle social commentary on the state of modern Brazil, illustrating the drastic economic disparity between the wealthy social elite and the pedestrian worker, yet stressing the fact that one can cross over to the other side with greater ease as technology and years advance. "The Man Who Copied" documents a class of people who live a short, but dramatically visible step above those portrayed in "City Of God," and really succeeds in drawing us into the mindset and dreams of the characters. This is a "coming of age" story, not just for its central characters, but for Brazil itself.

If you enjoy this film, I strongly suggest that you check out "City Of God," "Nine Queens," and "Amelie." All of them are foreign films (two from South America) and all share some unique common thread with this film. Highly Recommended!
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7/10
What a mess
Ricardo-366 July 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Wow, what can I say? What a mess of a film. The movie starts in a fast pace, with little dialogue and lots of narration, which is a way of getting the movie to feel more dynamic and smart than it really is. Some details are thrown with no real need, like the fact that he popped a school colleague eye's out with a bottle after he laughed of his missing father - added merely to the value of shock, in an animated segment to make it look "cool".

And then the whole plot starts to move in a farcical, absurd way. There is no way to produce believable copies of money that way, even if they don't look at the bill it's easy to feel it's not real. The whole bank robbery scheme is WAY opposite to the main character's way of thinking, it's too unbelievable. The whole thing with his girlfriend's father and the drug dealer who sells the weapon, flattened character that, on a mere sign of posing any danger to the plot, are killed in absurd and unbelievable ways.

The acting is OK. Lázaro Ramos seems lost and with an amateurish feel. Leandra Leal did a good job, but not brilliant. Pedro Cardoso gets this film into a whole new level and is perfect for his role, what felt like a mere "cameo" by him turned into the best character in the film. Luava Piovani seems to be a cameo-based character that got WAY too many lines.

This movie feels like "Ilha das Flores" meets "Small Time Crooks". If this movies have flaws, you can blame it on the writer adding too many cliché elements, and the editor - intercuting a tense scene between the main character and his girlfriend's father and a scene featuring Pedro Cardoso comically sleeping with Luava Piovani makes anyone scream "NO, NO, BAD! BAD EDITOR!".

It's entertaining in some points, and sooort of well directed and filled with good performances. I wouldn't have it on a priority list of films to see, but if you eventually catch on the TV, give it a chance.
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10/10
A Movie That Makes Me Proud of the Brazilian Cinema
claudio_carvalho4 April 2004
André (Lázaro Ramos) is a nineteen years old man who works as a photocopier operator in a small suburban store. He is very simple, earning R$ 240,00 (US$ 80,00) per month, the price of a fancy pair of tennis shoes, and he has just the basic education. He shares some expenses with his mother: he pays part of the rent of the small apartment where he lives with his mother (R$ 100,00); part of the installment of a 14' TV (R$ 32,00); and another R$ 40,00 of other monthly expenses. After expenses, he can afford of R$ 68,00 per month for him. Although being intelligent, he has some sort of incomplete knowledge, due to the partial reading of the books and magazines while he makes copy. He has a pair of binocular, which he bought after one year of savings and he is a voyeur. His hobby is seeing his neighbors in the night, specially Silvia (Leandra Leal), for whom he has a crush. André works with the sexy Marinês (Luana Piovani), a silly beautiful young woman, who usually says that she is virgin and will only have sex with a non-smoking rich guy. One day, André is invited to an opening party in a bar, he calls Marinés, and she brings her friend Cardoso (Pedro Cardoso), initiating a friendship among them. André decides to follow Silvia, and realizes she works as vendor in a store, selling costumes for women. He decides to buy a R$ 38,00 robe-de-chambre for his mother just to get close to Silvia, but he can not afford that amount. Therefore, he makes a photocopy of a R$ 50,00 bill and gambles R$ 9,00 in the lottery, getting a change of R$ 41,00. With this money, he approaches Silvia and they become friends. This is just the beginning of one of the best Brazilian movie ever. While following with humor the saga of André to get the love of Silvia, we find comedy, drama, action and romance in this outstanding film. The direction, the performance of the cast and the screenplay full of plot points are perfect. The DVD was released on 30 March 2004, and I had pre-bought it a couple of months ago. It was really worthwhile waiting for so many days! Brazilian cinema is one of the best of the world, not in quantity, but in quality. We have excellent directors, actors and actresses. But the screenplay of this movie is amazingly good. Even a foreigner, who is aware that our minimum wage is R$ 240,00 (US$ 80,00) per month, can understand the needs of André. This is one of our greatest social problem, the unfair wealth distribution: most of our population (maybe about 70%) receives less than US$ 80,00 per month, in a country where a pair of tennis of a better trademark (like a Nike) costs US$ 80,00. The situation of André reflects the lack of perspective of most of our teenagers, who can not afford to supply their basic needs. And André has a job, lives in a simple flat with his mother in a simple suburban zone outside the slums, and has some education. The unemployment rate in Brazil is higher and higher, the salaries are lower and lower and a great part of the urban population lives in slums. It is impossible not to like this movie, recommended for all audiences. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): `O Homem Que Copiava' (`The Man Who Copied')
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7/10
Not your original love movie !
whiteutopia18 March 2006
Warning: Spoilers
The Man Who Copied is a very strange piece, one of a kind . It's about a poor teenager, Andre who's in love with Silvia, who lives near him. He likes to spy on her sometimes with his telescope. The movie title is about how Andre first photocopies money - but soon it leads to an obsession. He soon gets the girl; Silvia, and with friends Marines and Cardoso, begin a huge plot to get rich in other ways. Andre soon finds out that Silvia's dad, (not biological, according to Silvia), Antunes, is a pervert. Silvia convinced Andre to kill him. They devise a plan together which has a few twists - but in the end, Antunes is dead. The four escape to Rio with a lot of money where they may live happily ever after. Or so it seems .. The Man Who Copied was a comfortable movie with the twist at the end. Some scenes quite surprised me ! It's a great film for to discuss with friends. I give it 7 stars for excellent originality.
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10/10
thanks God for Brasil
sysyfina18 July 2005
what i liked the most was the sincerity of the script. i usually figure out with at least 15 minutes before of what will happen next. so i focus on "the form", the presentation skills. and this movie is very creative. but i almost forgot to think forward because it caught me totally, so i just enjoyed every second of the movie at real intensity.

spectacular moments of common people. you have "the advantage" of hearing the main character's thought and seeing what is in his mind. and the end you discover that from spier he is turned out into the spied person and you wonder how everything happened from Silvia's point of view. but of course, Andre makes a great story.
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6/10
Uneven but not Uneventful
wanbaclone13 January 2009
The Man Who Copied is a curiosity. It doesn't stick with a genre, and it's unclear to me if this is a fault or an asset. Jorge Furtado, the director, plays fast and loose with the story. He throws bits of this and that into the mix all of which adds up to an uncatogorizable film. Is it a thriller? A comedy? A romantic comedy? It's hard for me to even match this up with any other movie I've seen. I see this film as more of a sketch than an oiled machine, and yet, there's considerable depth to the story. (The story stuck with me for a while, and I spent some time discussing it with the friend I saw it with.) It's the depth, the incongruities that kept me thinking about it, that makes me like it. The Man Who Copied is anything but. It's an original.
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4/10
Bad acting, rushed plot.
Alef44222 July 2013
This movie attempts to be an adventure/comedy/romance. The story starts showing André (Lázaro Ramos), a poor and so far honest guy working at the Xerox. Every conversation he has sound like a failed attempt of acting as an introvert - which might not be so noticeable for someone who is not Brazilian or isn't used with the language and the way it is spoken here. Although Lázaro is one of the most acclaimed Brazilian actors, his performance as André was very poor compared to his other parts.

The movie proceeds to attempt to show a romance between André and Silvia, a girl he spies at and works nearby. Their conversations and moments together sound completely empty and acted.

When André decides to make money at any cost and drops his honest self the movie goes on action mode, with a rushed plot after more than half of it was just André introspecting. After much bad acting, the movie has a nice yet a bit far from reality ending.
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Good surprise!
velame16 June 2003
"O homem que copiava" (The Photocopier Man) is a very nice movie. A creative plot, that proves that money doesn't bring happiness, but helps a lot...Lazaro Ramos is in one of its best performances. No violence, no sex, no further apellation but a great history. Impossible to get out of the theater without a big smile...9/10!
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10/10
Actors, direction, storyline: just perfect!!
danieldoritos27 November 2003
This movie is great!! It competes with "cidade de Deus" (City of God) for the rank of best brazilian film. The storyline has many twists and you won't be able to take your eyes off the screen.The editing, that mixes the movie with cartoons is just wonderful, and makes the movie flow perfectly. Rent this movie with no expectations: Entertainment garanteed!!!

10/10
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10/10
What a surprise!
alexandre201 August 2003
Great movie about an ordinary guy from the south of Brazil, who had an ordinary job as a photocopier operator. It's a modern fable, with touches of humor and sarcasm. The narrative is mixed with cartoon combining the life of the main character with the things that he copies. How could be life without money? Isn't it just a piece of paper that we put some value in? To think about.
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8/10
Amazing love story ...with a twist !
rodolfoIII21 August 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Wasn't sure what to expect from this movie at first. But it was wonderfully unpredictable! Unlike the Hollywood garbage! The movie starts pretty much with Andre (Lazaro Ramos) having a crush on Sylvia (Leandra Leal)which he has only a remote chance of going out with. But once he meets her, Andre wants more money in order to impress her, so Andre sets off a chain of events with love as the true prize. It starts as a simple love story, but then things get complicated as he and his friends work together to get what they need in their lives. Jorge Furtado (director)doesn't only makes us think about the true significance and motivation of money, but also how far are people willing to obtain love. While I didn't expect the ending, since the viewer is seeing the movie from Andre's perspective. But the ending is the kind that easily sucks me in without hesitation & loved it.
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10/10
Excellent insight into another world
jklizano31 January 2007
I have seen this movie about 3 times and I don't seem to tire of it. The storyline, the pace of the movie and the overall acting are quite good. I am now fluent in my Portuguese and was able to totally understand, relate and enjoy this movie. I now have quite a few Brazilian friends (including my beautiful girlfriend Kellen Artenuza) and I must say that this movie shows us a side of the Brazilian culture that we don't get to see often, that being the day-to-day life and the things that "possibly" go through a natives mind.

The movie is well balanced; action, love, suspense, drama and comedy. I HIGHLY recommend this flick, EXCELLENT viewing! Javier Lizano Los Angeles, California- USA
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10/10
Funny and sad at the same time... Just like the life!
fabiank-12 July 2005
The outstanding director Jorge Furtado debuts with this simple but brilliant movie. The plot is about a normal, and poor, guy, with dreams and a distant love, like everyone one of us had once in life. Lázaro Ramos is in an astounding performance, Andre becomes a very touchable character, and we laugh and cry with his plans to make money to finally approach his real love. Speaking in Andre's love interest we need to talk about Leandra Leal in a very competent and flawless performance she makes a sweet, but rather deep and human, girl. The chemistry between them is very believable and make the plot sound amazingly near to the audience.

The work of Jorge Furtado is memorable, the narrative is fast and very funny, the work with the cameras don't have a single flaw, making a clear and polite movie. The plot is simple but with creative, and believable, twists. The only point that deserves complains is the sound... Sometimes the sound editing is so unprofessional that i care about the Brazilian structure of cinema industry. Anyway it doesn't matter if you don't have a powerful 5.1 system in your room.

"O Homem que copiava" is a very competent movie, full of comedy and dramatist, with brilliant acting and an end that show us that the concept of good and bad are perfectly relative.

10 out of Ten!
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2/10
Total mixed bag
k_of_lodis28 December 2009
I'm Brazilian. I don't watch Brazilian movies very often and if I watch is for free on TV. I watched it on TV Globo, one of the roots of the problem.

The cast is composed by soap opera stars from TV Globo, there's no way to get a believable acting from those people. They're spoiled by TV acting that they can't leave the characters tailored for them on the countless soap operas and series from Globo. Lazaro Ramos gives the best performance, but the whole production works against him. There's even a unnecessary cameo by Paulo Jose (narrator of Furtado's 1989 Ilha das Flores acclaimed documentary) at the end of the movie.

The story is a mess. With pacing problems, the beginning it feels like you are watching Ilha das Flores(1989) again, with voice over and funny cartoon graphics included. It just goes for too long. Then the movie changes to a more conventional style with a love story, the more interesting and watchable part of the movie. After that, the movie falls into a unbelievable cartoonish sequence of events that makes the time you spent with the first 2/3 of the film worthless.

To someone outside Brazil, I think surely is a different experience that's why the reviews are so positive. But I don't get what's so impressive with such a cheap movie like this.
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Great movie! Very enjoying!
dougdead24 June 2003
That's a really great movie, very fun, the plot is original and the script unpredictable. I would tell more if my english was better, ok?:) If you don't like foreign movies, don't be scared: it's a enjoyable inteligent movie, it worth the subtitles.
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10/10
A film about a poor boy who needs a few bucks to buy a gift and impress a girl.
agomes-116 June 2003
André is 20 years old and has never finished high school. He is a photocopier operator at J. Gomide bookstore and stationer's, in the Fourth District, a working class neighborhood in Porto Alegre, south of Brazil. He lives with his mother. He likes drawing and he likes Sílvia. André desperately needs $38. Sílvia is 18. She goes to night school and during the day she is a shop assistant in a women's clothes store. She lives with her father, she likes reading and is not too crazy about figs. Sílvia has a date at the top of the Corcovado mountain, in Rio, and she cannot miss it. Marinês works at the bookstore with André. She dates, but not so regularly, a German guy who lives in Holland. Marinês looks really good in dresses she cannot afford to buy. Cardoso will do anything for her. And Marinês does anything she wants with him. Almost anything. Cardoso quit smoking. Two days ago, at Marinês' request. He does not even miss it that much. Only sometimes, after lunch. That cigarrette. If you don't smoke, you have no idea what it means, that cigarette after lunch. André needs $38 to buy a chenille dressing gown and to save Sílvias's life. André thinks up many plans to make money. And they all work out.And so his problems began.
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8/10
Fun and stylish film
joe4316 June 2003
This movie is the story of a young man in Porto Alegre, Brazil who workers as copy machine operator in a small store. He has little money; making minimum wage, and dreams of being an animator and getting with his dream girl. When the store purchanse a color copy machine. He begins making counterfeit money and the adventure begins.

This is a fun film, both funny and adventurous. Short animation scenes are spliced in throughout the film. It also features fairly slick shots and editing. Another fine example of Brazilian cinema as the most original and entertaining in the world today (especially in comparson to hollywood).
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10/10
Common man's film with serious message and creative entertainment : you will find it all in this film.
FilmCriticLalitRao27 June 2007
In an age where our cinematographic vision and sensibilities are blurred beyond repair by senseless, worse than junk box office nonsense like Spiderman, Harry Potter etc, it is nice to learn that a film has been made in Brazil by Jorge Furtado which talks about a common man from a realistic point of view. This point of view gives us hope enabling us to lead our daily lives in positive stride.It is not as if films about common denizens have not been made in the past. Of course they have been made by numerous directors and shall continue to be made in the future too. However, the only thing that separates "The man who copied" from other films is its willingness to depict a protagonist with a noble cause. This is precisely why this film will be remembered for many years in the near future.As "The man who copied" is a brilliant film it invariably needs to be known far and wide.It is an eclectic mix of various genres including animation cinema. Lazaro Ramos, the rising star cum actor of Brazilian cinema is our rebel with a cause. He plays the role of a poor boy who wishes to triumph in life. Seeing him face countless adversities with a smile on his face,we the viewers get a smile too. Both the female leads are excellent joy to behold. One the one hand Leandra Leal is cute with girl next door appearance. On the other hand Luana Piovani is the ethereal femme fatale ready to wreck havoc.O Homem que copiava must be watched at all costs as it is film about family values which are slowly disappearing in a lame world living on the crutches of Internet, mobile and Ipods.
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