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Movie Info & Details
Release Year2008
Runtime1h 57m
LanguagePortuguese
CertificationNR
GenresDrama
Votes87
DirectorBreno Silveira
WritersPatrícia Andrade
TypeFeature Film
Rating7.4 out of 10
Cast10 credited
Also Known AsOnce Upon a Time in Rio
About Once Upon a Time in Rio
Situated just above the awe-inspiring Ipanema beach in Rio is the Cantagalo slum. Every day, floods of Cantagalo residents make their way down the mountain, only to disappear into their surroundings as part of the invisible working-class that cleans apartments, works in restaurants, and sells food along the scenic, sun-drenched shores. Young Dé (Thiago Martins) is just such a man. Dé lives with his mother Bernadette (Cyria Coentro) in a cramped Cantagalo apartment, selling hot dogs on the beach in order to make the rent. His brother Beto was killed when Dé was just a young boy, and his adopted brother Carlão (Rocco Pitanga) has been jailed for a robbery that he didn't commit. One day, while working on the beach, Dé meets Nina (Vitória Frate). Nina is the only child of a successful lawyer named Evandro (Paulo César Grande), who's none to happy to discover that his daughter is dating a member of the lower class. How...
Directed by Breno Silveira, Once Upon a Time in Rio leans on a strong ensemble — Thiago Martins, Vitória Frate, Rocco Pitanga — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.
The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 2008.
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