Friday, January 20
Bossa Nova (map)
dir. Bruno Barreto, Brazil 2000

As Eydie Gorme sang, the bossa nova can make us do strange and unpredictable or uncharacteristic things; its seductive rhythms and playful beats entice, encouraging us to forget our troubles and fall in love. "Blame it on the bossa nova / With its magic spell... Blame it on the bossa nova / The dance of love." Bruno Baretto's Bossa Nova clearly concurs with Gorme's estimation (although, as we shall see, it does complicate it in the end), and his film lacks none of the charms of the bossa nova described in Gorme's song. More importantly, it is directly influenced by the sensuous crooning and musical stylings of Brazil's most famous bossa nova artist, Antonio Carlos (Tom) Jobim, to whom, along with Francois Truffaut, the film is dedicated. Jobim's music and the evocation of Truffaut's straightforward, understated style make a lovely backdrop for this light-hearted romantic comedy, set within the seemingly impossible natural beauty of Rio de Janeiro. - Todd R. Ramlow, PopMatters