Truly Dreadful Film

I like Black Panther, but I didn't like this movie.

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

this film is insulting. Fado is amazing music to be savored with a glass of wine or beer in a casa de fado or bar, it is not ballet or modern dance music. Saura had to extend his flamenco ideas (flamenco can be music and dance) to fado which apparently he doesn't understand and underestimates. It is just ridiculous having lovely svelte bodies twirling around with this music, some of which, in fact, is poorly chosen. Sorry, I love Chico and Caetano, but really, in a fado film? Give me a break. I've been to fado joints up and down the length of Portugal and 90 minutes in any single one of those was better than this nearly insufferable travesty. Also, in the version I watched, the song titles were displayed, but not the artists' names. Huh? Too bad he couldn't have thought this through a bit better. Has Saura ever been to Lisbon??????

This movie captivated me. Although i must say it didn't do so from the very start. It took me a scene (and/or a song) to begin to submerge deeply into the feeling of the music that floods this tale of Saura. And it's been wonderful. Each song made me want to live it again a thousand times, i felt it resound inside my head and each singer moved me to the point where they gave me to carry all of their sorrow and burden. Absolutely a must see for all of those who've been caught inside the music and don't know how - or don't want to - be set free. For all of you is this journey in which Carlos Saura invites us to go.A journey that conjugates perfectly music, contemporary dance, scene art, costume design, lighting and of course cinemaUnfortunately there is occasions within the film in which this escapes perhaps too much from what we can refer to as the "real Fado". For example the scene where the raper NBC pays his tribute. I feel that's a fairly big - and unjustified - jump from the feeling that was building up throughout the film... this "saudade", that Portuguese people have so jealously kept for themselves, but that they tell us about it in Fado. Another black spot (in my judgment of course) it's the dancers in that same scene, who i presume - and hope - do an improvisation that's poorly accomplished, and seems more like a mockery than an interpretation of the music that NBC is singing. However, this little "impasse" is saved completely thanks to the great interpretation in the next scene from Carlos do Carmo.Another great aspect of this film is that each scene it's different and appealing. Saura accomplish this experimenting with, as i was saying, the dance, light, scenery, costume, music or all of them at once.A movie to feel.

Okay, can I announce that there is music and dance in this film? Does this constitute a spoiler? Just kidding.Seriously, though, I was really disappointed with this film. I love almost all kinds of music and this music is now among those I like. Those with ears more trained to the distinctions between this Portuguese music and, say, Brazilian music can say more about it than I. However, there are certainly aspects to Fado that resemble Brazilian music.Be that as it may, Fado, to my understanding, is not dance music, per se. On the other hand, the director, for who knows what reason, chose to greatly enhance the film experience with often cluttered visuals and dance that sometimes doesn't seem to fit the music. What I wanted to see was either a live concert film, like "Buena Vista Social Club", which showcases the musicians and also told about the musicians' stories, or a film like "Calle 54", a concert film simply done on a soundstage with no audience. Either way, those films focus on the musicians performing the music."Fado" is so visually busy, you get the sense that either the director didn't trust his audience to merely sit through a concert film so he enhanced it with visual pizazz, or he felt like doing an exercise in showing off visual style as a director (the way it sometimes feels Tarentino does). Other than a few exceptions, the musicians and the music are not the stars here (but they should be!). What we have are, instead, set pieces comprised of music and dancing and sets and colors and camera tricks. Hey, let's put on a SHOW!!! There was so much going on, with no microphones in sight, I thought I was watching singers lip synching.The music is lovely, sometimes exciting and the performers seem to be passionate about what they're performing. Their efforts, however, are so often conflicting with the director's vision, or just drowned out.Remember how tacky those musical numbers used to be at the Academy Awards years ago? You could have a singer like Shirley Bassey mesmerizing us with her vocal of "Diamonds Are Forever", but behind her would be busy Busby Berkeley choreography performed by 50 tuxedoed men and 100 scantily clad women, not really doing anything all that pointed regarding the lyric she was singing. Just complete idiotic distraction. Well, that's how a lot of this film felt to me. As Simon on American Idol would say, "Sorry." Could someone do a film of this music before a live audience and serve THAT up to us? I'll be anxiously awaiting.

Film that has to been seen by all Fado-fans. And those who didn't know anything about Fado have to see it, to learn and love it. Very good mix between studio-scenes and scenes filmed in Lisbon. Also the presentation of the old fado legends as Amalia is wonderful. Even the dancing scenes are great, though the dance is not belonging to fado. The appearance of Mariza, Camane and Carlos do Carmo are magnificent. They are the great fado-singers of the past, present and even for the future.I was surprised by the breathtaking scenes with Mariza and Patrick de Bana, I couldn't imagine that fado can be danced too. But Saura tooked his many years experience to make film, which shows not only the traditional fado music, but also the new ways and the relations to African and Brazilian music.